Vader Is Dead
by OnlyOneKebab
Summary: On-board the Death Star, Obi-Wan defeats Darth Vader. But the real menace is still at large, and Obi-Wan cannot defeat him alone. With the help of Yoda, Obi-Wan will train the galaxy's last hope, Leia Organa, and bring an end to the reign of the Sith.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

Onboard the _Death Star_

Ben Kenobi stared at the mask of the man he once called a brother. It was a reminder of what had happened on Mustafar, the things he had done reappearing in nightmares far more often than he liked. That night he had been too weak, he had left his friend to a fate much worse than death.

Their lightsabers crackled again, Ben thrusting his forward, causing Darth Vader to take a step back.

"Your powers are weak, old man," Vader taunted, seeing the move for what it was, a lame attempt at defense.

"You can't win, Darth," Ben said calmly, swinging forward and locking their lightsabers. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Again their lightsabers hissed and cracked, red and blue reflecting on the black helmet.

"You should not have come back," Vader hissed. And Ben believed him. He could feel the rage simmering beneath the cool exterior of the Dark Lord of the Sith before him. Anger at the injuries that he had caused him on Mustafar. Ben saw it in the ferocity with which he attacked, the quick stabs he made in the hopes of catching him off-guard.

Ben kept Vader busy, allowing him to push the duel to the full view of the stormtroopers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Luke emerge with Leia and the smuggler, the stormtroopers oblivious. Luke looked so much like his father, and he didn't even know it.

Vader lunged forward once more, and Ben deflected it again, a sense of determination washing over him. He could have ended all of this on Mustafar. He could have the lives of the thousands Vader had killed, stopped so much suffering across the galaxy. Luke would not suffer for the mistakes he had made, he would not be forced to commit such a heinous act because he had been too weak.

With a newfound sense of vigor, Ben pushed back against Vader's mechanical strength, surprising the Sith Lord.

Vader pulled back, ready to stab the Jedi who had robbed him of his limbs nineteen years ago, exactly as Ben knew he would.

Pushing the offensive to the side, Ben plunged his lightsaber forward, into the chest of Darth Vader.

"I am so sorry, Anakin," he said softly, catching his friend as he fell to the ground. Gunfire erupted to his right, and Ben knew that they had only seconds before the hangar would be flooded with stormtroopers.

Using the Force, he closed the blast doors, and ran to the ship, deflecting blasterfire with his lightsaber.

"I hope you got the tractor beam out of commission or this is gonna be a real short trip," he heard Han yell from the cockpit. The Wookie howled something in response, and Obi-Wan took a seat, shocked at what he had just done. He had killed Anakin Skywalker, his friend and brother, and Luke's father.

"We need to get to Yavin 4," Leia said, her voice as calm and controlled as ever.

 _Anakin Skywalker was dead long before you killed Vader_ , Ben thought to himself.

"Ben, what you did, that was amazing," Luke said, giving his mentor a hug. Ben grunted in response.

"Excuse me, I must meditate," he said, walking out of the cockpit.

"What's with him?" Han asked.

"I don't know," Luke said, a puzzled look on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

 _Yavin 4_

"Ben I-,"

"Quiet Luke, we must meditate," the Jedi Master said calmly, not even opening his eyes.

"But-,"

"I understand your desire to talk about Vader's death, but there are many ramifications within the Force," Ben said kindly. This was true, but he also did not wish to discuss how he had killed his friend with Luke, not when the boy didn't know the truth.

Luke scowled but closed his eyes again. With the ship quiet once again, Ben reached out into the Force. Already it felt as if a great fog had been lifted, the oppressive presence of Vader was gone from the Force. But far more omniscient, was the presence of the Sith Master. Thousands of parsecs away on Imperial Center, Ben could still feel the tremors in the Force from the Dark Lord's rage at the demise of his apprentice. There was no doubt he would come for Luke as his new apprentice. And the young man must be trained, so he would not make the same mistakes as his father.

The door of the bunk room slid open, and Leia Organa emerged for the first time since they had evaded the TIE fighters.

"I believe our meditation is done, Luke," Ben said, surprising the young man. "We are approaching the rebel base."

* * *

"All this for me, Princess? You shouldn't have," Han said sarcastically, keeping a close eye on the enormous crowd that had formed on the floor of the hangar.

"Not in your wildest dreams, flyboy," Leia shot back.

"Gee Ben, I think they're all here to see you!" Luke exclaimed. He had never seen so many people celebrating at once. Even on-board the ship he could hear their cheers. Ben only grunted in response, and Luke frowned. The old hermit hadn't said much since they had fled the Death Star.

"Lets go Obi-Wan, General Dodonna is very eager to meet you," Leia said, glaring at Han one last time.

"Of course, Princess Leia," Ben said softly, leaving Han and Luke alone in the cockpit.

"Hey kid, you think the Princess and a guy like me-."

"No," Luke interrupted, suddenly defensive.

"I guess you're right," Han mused, his eyes watching the crowd as the went wild at the appearance of Ben and Leia. Dozens rushed forward to clap Ben on the back, several lifting Leia up onto their shoulders, streams Naboo champagne shooting up into the air. An older man slid between the others, and ordered the others to let Leia down. The two exchanged a few words, and Leia grabbed Obi-Wan, pulling him through the crowds.

"That can't be good," Luke murmured, shooting up from his seat.

* * *

"When did the transmission come in?" Leia asked, coming to a stop in front of the holodisplay.

"Twenty minutes ago," Dodonna replied.

"Do you think they're sincere?"

"We've confirmed the identities of everyone we've come into contact with, a few of them have Rebel ties. What's more is they claim to have broader support among the stormtroopers," Dodonna reported.

"Hmm, what do you think, Obi-Wan?" Leia asked. The Jedi Master thought back to the reaction of the stormtroopers after he had slain Darth Vader. Some had opened fire, but a few others had simply frozen, out of shock or because they did not want to fight, Obi-Wan couldn't say.

"It isn't unreasonable, the Empire has made enemies of those within their own ranks. But it would be foolish to think that the Emperor would man the battle station with those he did not trust," Obi-Wan said. "There will be stiff resistance if we take over the battle station as General Dodonna suggested."

"Why bother taking it over when we have the plans for the Death Star? We can destroy it," Vaspar said.

"The loss of life would be astronomical, nearly a million souls lost," Mon Mothma said.

"We must destroy it," Capin Harinar, the head material analyst, objected. "There is no use for a planetkiller in the galaxy. Whoever has it will be too tempted to use it."

"I agree. It's too dangerous of a weapon to risk losing," Tyrnna Palmo said.

"Crix, when we take over the Death Star, how quickly do you think we could evacuate it?" Leia asked, her voice rising above all the others. The room fell silent, hoping the next statement would fuel their own argument.

"Estimating roughly one million people on-board and utilizing the full capabilities, it could be done in three days."

"The Imperials would reach us by then!" Vaspar protested.

"We wouldn't try to take over a moon in three days, and a battle station the size of one won't be any different," Leia countered. "I say we evacuate the defectors, and destroy the station."

The room fell silent, trying to pick apart any holes in her plan.

"Well General Madine, it appears we have a battle plan to make," Leia said firmly, locking eyes with the commando unit leader. The two left, Capin Harinar following to advise them on the technical readouts of the station.

"You must be Obi-Wan Kenobi," Mon Mothma said, walking over to the Jedi. "We cannot thank you enough for your actions on the Death Star. You've done more to bring an end to the Empire in one day than the Rebellion has in nineteen years."

"I wouldn't say that. I've been in hiding while you were doing all the fighting," Obi-Wan said humbly.

"You fought against the Empire by staying alive, and keeping the Jedi Order alive," Mon Mothma said. "We would like to offer you a position in the High Command. Your experience fighting in the Clone Wars is invaluable."

Obi-Wan pondered the offer. He had been an excellent strategist in the Clone Wars, even if he allowed most of the praise to go to Anakin. But he had spent so much of his youth fighting, now was the time for Luke to begin his training. That boy was the galaxy's last hope.

"I am humbled by your offer, but I cannot be more than an adviser. It is time for the Jedi Order to return," Obi-Wan said graciously, bowing the leader of the Alliance.

"Of course," Mon Mothma said. "I'll have Rieekan inform you of what we've been planning for the past few years."

"Thank you."

* * *

Luke sat next to Wedge Antilles in the briefing room, focused on the technical readouts of the Death Star that General Dodonna was presenting.

"We have made contact with rebel sympathizers on-board the Death Star. There are reports that mutiny has already begun, so we must move quickly. The defectors have taken over the largest hangar, and are well fortified. Our ground forces will be in charge of the evacuation, and should not take more than four hours. Meanwhile, our fighter squadrons will be holding off the loyalists and Imperial reinforcements. On the Death Star plans recovered by Princess Leia, we have found a major weakness, no more than two meters wide...," still listening, Luke looked over to where Ben and Leia were standing off to the side. Leia's eyes were sharp and critical, looking for any possible weaknesses, and Ben's expression was as inscrutable as ever.

"The sympathizers have taken control of the battle stations navigation systems and planet-killer. The defenses will be down, all you have to do is make the shot," Dodonna finished.

"That's impossible, even for a computer," Wedge grumbled next to him.

"It's not impossible. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than two meters."

"Man your ships! And may the Force be with you!" Dodonna exclaimed, sending the troops scattering.

* * *

As he was preparing his ship, Luke allowed his mind to wander. There was an energy in the air he had never felt before, a feeling of hope and excitement. The most feared man in the Empire was dead, because of _Ben_! Ben had finally gotten his revenge for his father's death and betrayal so many years ago. The rebels morale had never been higher, there was even an open revolt on the Death Star! Then why did Ben seem so glum? Since their escape from the Empire he had barely said more than three words strung together, and it worried Luke. Did Ben feel _remorse_ for killing the man who had killed his father and plunged the galaxy into chaos?

 _Facing Darth Vader probably brought up a lot of old memories, that's all_ , Luke thought to himself, remembering the vacant look Ben got whenever he talked about the Clone Wars.

"Speak of the sarlaac," he mumbled as the old man walked towards his ship.

"Are you all ready to go, my friend?" Ben asked kindly.

"Almost. Are you not coming with us?" Luke asked, jumping down from the ladder.

"I'm afraid not, I'm not the pilot I once was," Ben said sadly, his gaze wandering as the distant look appeared in his eye. But it was gone as quickly as it had arrived. "Remember, Luke, I may be on the ground, but the Force is always with you."

"I know."

* * *

Leia waited anxiously in the war room, arms crossed, her eyes darting from one display to the next. For the past three hours she had listened to reports on the evacuation, as their line of defense had gradually fallen back. One of the astromechs had taken as much information as it could from the database, everything had gone as planned. Except she wasn't shooting at stormtroopers right now. Leia had wanted nothing more than to storm the Death Star and track down Tarkin. Her family, her people, her _planet_ , had been destroyed all because he had wanted to make a point. Jan, a fellow Alderaanian, knew how angry she was, and recommended she stay back, letting Madine lead the charge. But after standing in the command center, Leia remembered why she had always preferred to be at the front-lines.

This was the worst part. Listening to the radio chatter between the pilots. The rebels had readouts of what was going on in the space battles, but the sudden radio silence from pilots who had been blown away in an inferno drove her mad. Mad because there was nothing she could do except sit and listen. Only this time it was much worse. Luke was in one of the starships, and Imperial reinforcements had been picked up on the scanners. They were twenty minutes out.

Casting a glance at the blast doors, Leia sighed. She was glad Obi-Wan was meditating in the other room. She had listened to Red Squadron getting picked off one by one for the past ten minutes. And all she could do was stand and hope everything turned out alright, that Tarkin and the others got what they deserved.

A beep sounded to her left, and Dodonna frowned.

"His computer's off."

* * *

 _"Use the Force, Luke,_ " Ben said next to him, causing him to jump in his seat.

"You're just hearing things," Luke muttered, shaking his head and looking back into his targeting computer.

 _"Let go, Luke,"_ the voice said again.

It had to be Ben using the Force, there was no other explanation. Taking a deep breath, Luke began to clear his mind, trying to see what Ben wanted him to do.

" _Luke, trust me._ "

He pressed the second button on the right, retracting the targeting computer.

"Luke, you've turned off your targeting computer, is everything alright?" Dodonna's voice rang out into the cockpit.

"Nothing. I'm alright," Luke said calmly, focusing on the exhaust port that was getting closer every minute. He was nearly there, all he had to do was _focus_.

The X-Wing shuddered, and R2 squealed in the back.

"I've lost Artoo!" Luke exclaimed. Tuning out the TIE fighters, he allowed the Force to guide his hands, maneuvering from side to side so they couldn't get a clear shot. Two explosions sounded behind him, and he turned around, trying to see what had hit them.

"Yeehaw!" a familiar voice sounded over the radio. The Millennium Falcon buzzed by the remaining TIE fighters, it's tailwind scattering them.

"You're all clear kid," Han said, "now let's blow this thing and go home!"

Luke stared straight ahead, his hands tensed over the controls. A sense of peace washed over him, and he squeezed tight, letting the torpedoes loose. For a moment they seemed to careen off into space, and Luke was afraid he had missed completely. But then they disappeared inside the Death Star. Not wasting anytime, he pulled away, the other ships following suit.

"Great shot kid! That was one in a million!" Han exclaimed.

" _Remember Luke, the Force will be with you... always._ "

* * *

Obi-Wan could hear the raucous celebration, the noise infinitely multiplied by the arrival of hundreds, if not thousands, of sympathizers. Enjoying the brief period of solitude while it lasted, the Jedi Master reached deeper into the Force, to a little-known planet in the galaxy.

" _Master Yoda, the time has come_."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

 _Imperial Center_

No had one dared to go near the Emperor's private chambers. The guards unfortunate enough to have been there when he received the news of his apprentice's demise had met a gruesome end. The thousands of other servants and hundreds of other guards had kept a safe distance, diligently securing the rest of the palace, and making sure not a single flaw could be found.

They knew the storm had passed, or at least abated, when the Hand arrived. Clad entirely in black, and a hood raised over their face, the servants and guards gave them a wide berth, not wishing to get on the wrong side of the sentient who was now the second-in-command to the Emperor.

Little more than an hour passed, and the Hand emerged, unscathed. The Hand did not acknowledge the others presence, for the Hand's mission was important, superseding anything the Hand had done before.

"Bring me Luke Skywalker," the Emperor had said.

* * *

 _Hoth, Rebel Base_

Luke sat on the top of his ship, waiting for any arrivals from off-world. Ben had said he was supposed to meet a great Jedi Master, the one who had trained Ben himself. So far the radar had been silent, Lira in the control tower hadn't indicated any ships near the planet, let alone in the system.

"When is he going to get here?" he muttered. He had been waiting here for hours, watching his friends go about their business, while he just sat here. They were closing the gates, he had spent all day up here for nothing! What kind of-.

"I am wondering, why are you here?" a gravely voice said, causing Luke to jump. He looked down and saw a little green alien standing under the wing of his ship.

 _What is he doing?_ Luke thought to himself. The Alliance had some, interesting, characters working for them, and he was certain this was one of them.

"I was waiting for someone," he said, hopping down from the ship. Yoda hadn't shown, he may as well go down to the mess hall and get something to eat.

"Found someone, you have I would say, hmm," the little alien said playfully, waving his stick in the air.

"Right," Luke said trying to keep from smiling. There was no way that this creature, whatever it was, would be able to help him find Yoda.

"Help you I can, yes mmmm," the alien probed.

"I don't think so, I'm looking for a great warrior," Luke said, hoping the alien would back off.

"Ahh, a great warrior," the creature laughed, "wars not make one great." To Luke's surprise, the creature moved with surprising speed for it's apparent age, and began to rummage through his toolbox. R2-D2 chirped in alarm.

"Hey!" Luke exclaimed as the little green alien took a bite out of one of his ration bars. "Put that down!" His command was futile, as the creature had spit it out.

"How you get so big, eating food of this kind?" the alien teased, pushing the box aside and digging deeper.

 _Where did the rebellion find this thing?_ Luke thought to himself. He looked around for someone to help him, but the hangar was abandoned. He remembered the doors had to be closed to keep out the cold, everyone must have gone back to the bunks.

"Listen, friend, I don't mean to bother you but I'm about to leave the hangar for the night, and so do you," Luke said, reaching for the creature.

"Aww, spend all day in a hangar waiting for someone, have you?" the alien taunted, throwing a wrench onto the hangar floor.

"Hey, get out of there!" Luke exclaimed, "you could have broken that! Give me that!" The creature had taken a tiny power lamp, and was clutching it tightly. Luke tried to grab it, but the alien was far quicker than he looked, and stronger.

"Mine! Or I will help you not," the alien said, shining the light around the dark hangar.

"I don't want your help, I want my lamp back. I need it to do repairs on my ship," Luke said, holding out his hand. The creature didn't acknowledge Luke's gesture, instead fiddling with the lamp further. Taking advantage of the distracted alien, R2 reached out and tried to grab it.

"Mine! Mine! Mine!" the creature shouted, hitting R2 with his wooden stick.

"R2 let him have it," Luke sighed. All he wanted to do was go and eat dinner, but here he was making sure a crazy alien didn't trash the hangar, and no one was around to help him.

"Now will you move along, little fella? The hangar is closed." A small lamp was a small price to pay to get the troll out of here.

"No! No, no! Stay and help you, I will," the creature laughed. "Find your friend, hmm?"

"I'm not waiting for my friend. I'm waiting for a Jedi Master," Luke said tersely.

"Oohhh. Jedi Master," the troll said. "Yoda. You wait for Yoda."

"You know him?" Luke exclaimed, kneeling down to the creatures level.

"Mmm, take you to him, I will." The alien barked in laughter. "Yes, yes." Turning around, the creature began walking down the hall. "But now, we must eat."

Luke stayed where he was, puzzled by the sudden turn of events. An odd green troll that worked for the rebellion knew where Yoda was? Why hadn't Yoda just come to him first, and spared him the crazy middle-man?

"Come. Good food. Come," the troll called over his shoulder.

Shaking his head, he rose and followed after the strange creature. The alien led him down hallways Luke had not seen before, and he was surprised no one asked them why they were there. Eventually, they came to a long corridor that had been vacated for the night, and the troll spoke once more.

"Why wish you become Jedi, hmm?" the alien asked as they walked.

"Mostly because of my father, I guess," Luke admitted softly.

"Ah, your father," the creature said. "Powerful Jedi was he, powerful Jedi, hmm."

"Oh come on, how could you know my father? You don't even know who I am!" Luke exclaimed. He had waited all day for the Jedi Master to show up, never leaving his ship and eating nothing but bland ration bars all day. And now he was being led in circles around the rebel base by a delusional troll.

The corridor emptied out into the barrack hallway, and Luke groaned in relief at the sight of Ben lingering outside his doorway, talking to one of the pilots. At the sight of the two, he dismissed the pilot and gestured for them to come inside.

"I'm so glad we ran into you," Luke started, but he was soon interrupted by the little creature.

"I cannot train him. The boy has no patience," the alien said.

 _Train me?_ Luke thought to himself. Seeing the familiar looks between the two, the truth dawned on him.

"He will learn patience," Ben countered.

"Hmm, much anger in him. Like his father."

"Was I any different when you taught me?"

"Hah! He is not ready."

"Yoda!" Luke interrupted. "I am ready. I... Ben! I can be a Jedi. Ben, tell him I'm ready."

"Ready, are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!"

Luke hung his head in shame. He knew it was true.

"So was I, if you'll remember," Ben argued.

"He is too old. Yes, too old to begin training," Yoda argued lamely. Ben had known Yoda all his life, and knew the Grand Master was grasping at straws at this point.

"But I've learned so much," Luke said quietly.

"Will he finished what he begins?" Yoda asked begin.

"I won't fail you. I'm not afraid," Luke said fiercely.

"Oh, you will be. You will be."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

Six Months Later...

Luke ran around the abandoned hangar, Yoda's weight heavy yet familiar on his back. He flipped over the cannibalized fighter, and hopped up onto the catwalk.

"Done for today, we are," Yoda said, hopping down. Luke panted in relief. While the cool-down lap had not been very intense, the lightsaber training beforehand had. Ben hadn't held back, and Luke's body was still aching.

"Why did Vader fall to the Dark Side?" Luke asked. He had been given lessons on the Light versus the Dark Side of the Force, but he always had too many questions, Yoda ending the discussion before he could find out everything he wanted to know.

"Quicker, easier, more seductive it is, than the Light," Yoda said sadly. "Believed those he loved to be dead. Chaos and torment, all across the galaxy. Gave into his anger, he did."

"Is that why you didn't want to teach me in the beginning?" Luke asked timidly. Yoda hadn't bothered to hide his distrust of Ben's judgement, giving all the reasons in the world why he didn't want to train the young man. But Luke was as close to him as he was to Ben Kenobi. The other pilots had questioned why he spent so much time with the two, and he would give them vague excuses. He was progressing quickly, and Luke hoped he would be able to take on the Emperor soon, and bring and end to the Empire that had killed his father.

"Yes. Caused many to lose their way, anger has. Enough for today, this is," Yoda said sternly, gracefully jumping down from the catwalk. Luke followed, struggling to keep pace with the small Jedi Master.

"I see your training has gone well," Ben's voice rang out, startling Luke.

"Yes. Yoda just gave me a quick run around the hangar," Luke answered, falling into step with the older man. "What have you been doing?"

"Just chatting with our friend Han Solo. He still insists that you're wasting your time," Ben chuckled.

"Maybe I should levitate the Millennium Falcon," Luke joked.

"Sound unsure of yourself, young Skywalker," Yoda interrupted.

"I was joking, Master Yoda," Luke said apologetically. "There's no way I could lift something that large. It would be like moving the Death Star."

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size do you, hmm?" Yoda chided.

Luke shook his head.

"And well you should not. For my ally in the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we...," Yoda stopped to hit Luke with his gimer stick. "Not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you... me... Obi-Wan... the ship... everywhere! Come, I show you!" With a chuckle the wizened Jedi Master took off, Ben and Luke breaking out into a jog to keep up.

Yoda led them into the hangar, weaving between pilots and droids alike, right to the Millennium Falcon, where Han was fixing yet another part of his ship.

"Hey kid," he said, stepping down from his ladder. Seeing the two Jedi, he furrowed his eyebrows. "What's going on?"

"He's just pulling my chain," Luke mouthed. Han nodded, wiping the grease off his hands with a towel.

"Much you have learned. Now use it," Yoda said firmly, his eyes boring into Luke.

"You want the impossible," Luke said. Ben was silent throughout the exchange, his eyes flickering between the two curiously.

Without saying another word, Yoda turned back to the Millennium Falcon, and closed his eyes, hands resting on his gimer stick. For a moment the four were silent, until the Millennium Falcon lifted off the ground. Tool boxes inside began to rattle from the sudden movement, and Han leaped back in shock.

"Hey! Cut that out!" he shouted, watching his ship climb higher and higher. Yoda paid him no attention, and Han froze, praying his ship wasn't going to come hurtling back down. Chewie moaned in protest, but Yoda ignored him as well. The comms dish got closer and closer to the ceiling, Han was certain he and Chewie were going to spend all day fixing the communication systems, when the Falcon floated back down effortlessly, Yoda opening his eyes when the clank of metal on duracrete signaled it was secure.

"I don't... I don't believe it," Luke said, completely in awe. He hadn't noticed the hangar had come to a standstill, falling silent at the sight of a floating ship.

"This is why you fail," Yoda said. As if he remembered he had water boiling on the stove, the Jedi Master tottered off, leaving a hangars worth of awestruck pilots in his wake.

* * *

"What was that?" Leia asked. Either she was seeing things, or the Millennium Falcon had just lifted off the floor of it's own volition.

"I don't know, ma'am," Lira the radar tech stuttered. Without wasting a moment, Leia rushed out of the control room. The entire hangar was frozen in shock, but she pushed past them, and right in the center was Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"What was that?" she asked, looking between the three of them for some sort of repulsor system. To her surprise, Han was completely speechless, leaning against the Millennium Falcon for support. Luke had a similar look of awe on his face, and Obi-Wan was suppressing a grin.

"My apologies, General Organa, we did not mean to worry you. Master Yoda was just here and wanted to teach Luke a lesson about the Force, we did not mean to trouble you or distract your troops," Obi-Wan said kindly.

"No trouble at all, Obi-Wan," she said, still looking around for some sort of explanation.

"How did he do that?" Han stammered, recovering from his stunned silence. His words seemed to have broken the spell of silence on the hangar, and murmured conversations began to break out, but they stopped as soon as Obi-Wan opened his mouth.

"The Force is a powerful thing, Han," Obi-Wan said sincerely.

"He did all that, with the Force?" one of the pilots echoed.

"Alright. Back to work everyone!" Carlist Rieekan said, clapping his hands together. Gradually the pilots dissipated, spreading rumors about how the Jedi was able to do it, their eyes still on the Falcon. Once they were alone Rieekan gestured for them to follow him. He led them to the briefing room, closing the door behind him.

"How many of you are there that can do things like that?" he asked.

"Yoda and I are able to, and Luke is advancing quickly in his training," Obi-Wan said.

Rieekan seemed impressed by the information, and Leia knew exactly why he had called them here.

"Since you killed Vader the Emperor has replaced his position as second-in-command with Admiral Thrawn. I will be frank, he is a brilliant tactician, and the few victories we have had against him are by the narrowest of margins. However, most of our engagements have been in space. We don't believe he is familiar with the tactics of the Jedi, and if the three of you were to lead a ground assault, especially at different locations-,"

"You want us to lead an assault against the Empire?" Luke interrupted. Obi-Wan gave him a sharp look, but said nothing.

"Yes, Skywalker. Your abilities are unlike anything the galaxy has seen in fifteen years. Thrawn's service record has him commissioning twelve years ago, meaning he wouldn't have fought against any Jedi. And Master Kenobi, you and Master Yoda's knowledge of the tactics used in the Clone Wars would be greatly appreciated," Rieekan said.

"Of course, we would like to wait until Luke's training is complete," Leia said. "If we can attack in three places instead of two, we can take control of even more systems."

"I will consult with Master Yoda on the matter," Obi-Wan said.

"Naturally," Rieekan said. "You know where to find General Organa and I." He gave the Jedi another small bow as he left, Leia flashed a comforting smile to Luke before departing.

"Interesting times we live in. Come Luke, we must meditate," Obi-Wan said warmly, gesturing to the young man. Luke followed, deep in thought. Once they entered the bunk room, Obi-Wan broke the silence.

"Is something troubling you?" he asked.

"If you can do something like that with the Light Side of the Force, why did Vader fall?" Luke said. "Yoda said the Dark Side is quicker and easier, but I still don't understand how he could become a Sith Lord because he thought the Light Side was too easy."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, thinking of the best way to tell the boy why his father had fallen.

"Vader allowed his emotions to control his actions. He believed the Light Side had betrayed him, that it had stopped him from saving someone he loved. He vowed to never let it happen again, and take revenge on those who had cost him his loved ones life. He turned to the Sith, and swore to destroy the Jedi," Obi-Wan said sadly. In his mind's eye, he could still see the fires of Mustafar, the screams of his friend...

"Could he have saved them?" Luke asked.

"No. What he wanted was a power no one has can ever control," Obi-Wan said ruefully. He should have seen the warning signs, should have done a better job of teaching him...

"Is that why he killed my father?" Luke asked softly.

"Yes," the old man replied. "He believed he was weak. But your father was one of the most powerful Jedi I have ever known. The most powerful Jedi I've ever known."

"Then how was he able to kill my father?"

He couldn't do this anymore. Lying to the boy wouldn't do any good. His father had died years ago, he deserved to know the truth. How he had failed his father, how he would fail him as well.

"Your father, Vader was," Yoda said, making his presence known to the two. Neither seemed surprised they had missed his entrance, each lost deep in their own thoughts.

The hollowness Obi-Wan felt hadn't dissipated after telling Luke the truth, and he knew it never would. He had caused so much pain, so much suffering for the Skywalker family. After what he had done to his friend, his brother, on Mustafar, he deserved no less.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Luke asked, his voice eerily calm.

"If Vader had discovered your connection on-board the Death Star, he would have captured you and used you to overthrow the Emperor so he could become the Sith Master," Obi-Wan explained. He could sense the rage simmering beneath the surface in the Force, and waited for it to boil over.

"Dead your father was, long before Vader's demise," Yoda said.

"No!" Luke yelled, shoving his chair away from the table. "My father was killed by _you_ , a Jedi! On the Death Star!" His glare pierced through Obi-Wan, and the old man felt the anger reverberate in the Force. It only reminded him of Anakin, of all the times he had lost control and Obi-Wan had been unable to help.

"I've trained with you, prepared to fight against the man who I thought killed my father, when all along it was you! My father was alive! If this 'Light Side' was as powerful as you say it is, you would have saved him!" In a rage, Luke hurled his lightsaber against the wall, looking on in satisfaction as it put a hole in the wall.

"I tried to save him, but he was too far gone," Obi-Wan said faintly, his eyes staring off at something only he could see.

"Well look what good that did," Luke said frostily. Grabbing his bag, he stormed out of the bunk room, slamming the door behind him.

"I have failed them," Obi-Wan said.

"Pity yourself, you do. The Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker chose. Tried to save him, you did. His decision it was, not yours," Yoda said. The man from Stewjon knew the Grand Master was right, but why did he feel so empty? He had tried to do right by his friend, and make sure his son did not fall the way he did. But by doing so he had only delivered Luke to the Dark Side.

"That boy is our last hope, and I have driven him away," Obi-Wan moaned. The Empire may be crippled, but the Emperor was a force of nature, too powerful for either of the wizened Jedi Masters.

"No," Yoda said. "Another, there is."

* * *

Luke ran past his friends and colleagues, ignoring the worried looks and questions they asked. He couldn't be here, nowhere near Ben. Nowhere near the Jedi, nowhere near the Rebellion. All this time he had trusted Ben, believed him when he told him stories about his father, yet the man had only lied to him. What else did he believe that was nothing but a lie? Were Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru only strangers who had agreed to take him in after Ben told them a sob story about his parents? Had Ben even tried to save his father?

"Come on Artoo, we're leaving," Luke barked, slinging his bag into the cockpit. Artoo chirped in confusion. "I don't care that the gates are closing in ten minutes, we're going!" he snapped. Artoo let out a long beep, but dutifully got into the port, prepping all the systems.

Within minutes they were flying away from the ice planet, Luke unleashing all his rage into the Force, trying to calm himself by focusing on his flying. Only instead of calming him as it normally did, it only fueled his anger. Ben had always remarked how skilled a pilot he was, _like his father_. All the things Ben had told him to reinforce his connection with his father came racing back, causing him to tighten his grip on the joystick.

It would take several sectors and a jump to hyperspace before Luke's heart-rate returned to normal, and his breathing wasn't so rapid.

 _I can sense your anger, young one_ , a disembodied voice said. Luke jumped, his heart-rate hiking back up. He took a moment to calm down again, trying to figure out what was happening. As far as he knew, Yoda and Ben were the only Force-users he could telepathically connect with in the entire galaxy.

"Who know's if that's true," he muttered darkly. Opening himself up to the Force, Luke responded.

 _Who are you?_ he asked.

 _I am a Force-user, much like yourself._ The voice sounded warm, and inviting. Like the voice of a grandfather.

 _There's others like us?_

 _Of course, Mr...?_

 _Just call me Luke, Luke Skywalker._

 _I can sense your distress across the galaxy, Luke. Has something happened?_

Luke took a deep breath, the thought of Ben's betrayal causing his heart to race again.

 _I'd rather not talk about it just yet._

 _Of course, of course. I am guessing you are out of a place to train?_

 _How did you know I'm training?_

 _I have sensed your powers growing, but have only been able to communicate with you now because of your openness in the Force._

 _You could sense me?_

 _Someone of your magnitude is hard to miss. I do not mean to disrespect those who instructed you, but the two of us are very powerful individuals, and it is easier for us to communicate than those with weaker connections to the Force._

 _No offense taken. I didn't know there were other Force-users in the galaxy._

 _There are few of us left, but you and I are by far the most powerful. Could your teachers not sense us as well._

 _No. What do you mean us?_

 _I have a handful of select students that I train._

 _You have your own students?_

 _Why yes. None with your own impressive capabilities I must say. You must not have detected them since they are so much weaker than you. I must say you are as powerful as someone I once knew, I believe his last name was Skywalker as well._

 _You knew my father?_

 _I suppose so. I must say this connection is difficult to maintain, I don't know much longer I can keep it open._

 _Where are you? I can fly to you._

 _I'm on Imperial Center._

 _I'm too far out. What district are you in?_

 _No need to worry. I have a friend on Eriadu. Meet him at the capitol building tomorrow at sundown. He will take you to me._

 _I'll be there! What's your name?_

 _Sheev Palpatine._


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

 _Imperial Center_

Luke had never seen so many buildings in his life. Between growing up on Tatooine and going on the run with the Rebels, he hadn't had much chance to see the developed planets of the galaxy. All the buildings were so clean and new, the speeders orderly in their lanes. The view from the window had more culture and technology than all of Tatooine, and this was only a tiny portion of a _planet_.

"We'll be landing shortly," one of the pilots called back. Luke nodded, and took his seat next to the window. As they landed, he allowed his thoughts to wander beyond the architecture. After landing on Eriadu, he had been escorted by a man about his age to the transport he was on now. To Luke's surprise, he had never been asked once about how he knew this Palpatine character, or any other questions for that matter.

Without warning the windows blacked out, and Luke looked around in alarm.

"Don't worry, it's for security reasons," the man assured him, speaking for the first time since they had left Eriadu. Luke nodded, leaning back against the seat. He was going to meet another Force-sensitive soon, someone who knew his father. He hoped this man would tell him the truth, unlike the Jedi he had known.

* * *

 _Hoth_

"General Organa!" Lira shouted, startling everyone in the control room. "A fleet of star destroyers just dropped out of hyperspace in sector four." Fear was written all over the young womans face, and the room went silent, waiting for the Generals instructions. Things had been going well for the Rebellion, the Empire must be confident to be launching such a bold attack.

"Sound the alarms, the Empire knows we're here," Leia said without skipping a beat, moving forward to get a better view of the readouts. "Reroute all power to the energy shield. We've got to hold them til all the ground transports are away. Prepare for ground assault." The spell was broken, and the control room was a flurry of activity as the technicians raced to their battle stations.

Not wasting any time, Leia Organa walked out onto the main transport deck as the alarms sounded. She raised her hand, and the cargo pilots and crew gathered around her.

"Groups seven and ten will stay behind to fly the speeders," she ordered, her voice loud over the siren. "As soon as each transport is loaded, evacuation control will give immediate clearance for launch." The Rebels acknowledged her orders, and the group quickly disbanded, and the hangar became the embodiment of organized chaos. Alarms sounded, troops, cargo pilots, and technicians were rushing to their duty stations or preparing their ships for take-off. Evacuation groups were loading transports.

Having given the cargo pilots their orders, Leia hurried out, steering clear of the busy crew members. The fighter pilots had no doubt scrambled, but Rieekan was out on surveillance, leaving them leaderless. Climbing the stairs to the fighter deck, she was surprised to see the two Jedi from earlier today block her path.

"Excuse me but I have to get to the main hangar," she said quickly, not waiting on a response. Leia marched through the hangar doors, and saw the pilots had formed a circle near the entrance of the hangar, ready for orders. There was no time for pleasantries, and she walked straight to the center.

"All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports."

"Two fighters against a star destroyer?" one of the pilots said incredulously.

"The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of your flight path," she informed them. "When you've gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?" the group murmured in assent, and Derlin slammed his hand against the side of the ship.

"Everyone to your stations! Lets go!" he shouted, sending the pilots back to their ships.

* * *

"Director Isard, we have detected life forms," General Veers reported. "Com-Scan has detected an energy field protecting an area around the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment."

"So the Rebels have been alerted to our presence," Ysanne Isard mused aloud. "Admiral Ozzel came out of hyperspace too close to the system."

"He felt that surprise would be-,"

"I do not require any explanations, Veers. Prepare your ships for a surface attack."

"Yes ma'am," the Captain said obediently, scurrying out of her quarters. Now that she was alone, Director Isard mulled over the turn of events. The Emperor himself had contacted her, and told her to be on the lookout for a rebel starfighter in the Javin sector, but she was to make sure it passed safely to Eriadu. After it had landed, Isard had focused all her efforts on finding where the ship had come from. One probe droid had been all she needed. She was going to be the one to strike the first crippling blow to the Alliance since Vader's death, further placing her in the Emperor's good graces.

* * *

She knew the Empire would find out where they were hiding eventually, but not so soon. They had been too careful, rarely going off-world and keeping communications to a minimum. That had always kept them hidden for at least a year. What had the Empire-

"Are you alright?" a familiar voice shouted.

"Why are you still here?" she shot back, looking away from the display for little more than a second. Her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, it really was Han Solo. Why was he still wandering around, she had enough on her plate to worry about!

"I heard the command center had been hit!" Han said.

 _The hangar is still operational_ , she thought to herself.

"You got your clearance to leave," Leia shouted back.

"Don't worry, I'll leave," the smuggler retorted, his voice rising as he climbed over the remains of a control board. "First I'm going to get you to your ship."

"Your Highness, we must take this last transport," Threepio fretted. "It's our only hope."

For once Threepio was reasonable. She wouldn't get off this ice ball if she stayed in here until the roof fell in. Leia climbed over to the other remaining controller, making sure all the fighters were getting through.

"Send all troops in sector twelve to the south slope to protect the fighters," she said. The command center rocked again, wiring popping lose and sparking from the force of impact.

"Imperial troops have entered the base," the announcer squawked, his feed cutting to static.

"Come on, that's it," Han said, resting his hand on her arm. She stared at him for a moment, before returning her attention to the readout.

"Give the evacuation code signal. And get to your transports!" she shouted as Han pulled her away. The two tore down the hallway, slipping and sliding on the ice that had formed. Another explosion rocked the base, and Leia screamed as Han tackled her, shielding her from the falling debris in front of them. Dust and snow filled the air, and Leia could barely make out Han's figure moving about.

"Transport, this is Solo. Better take off - I can't get to you. I'll get the princess out on the Falcon," she heard him say, before she was hoisted to her feet.

Han and Leia bolted down the hallway, Threepio scurrying not far behind. The corridor emptied out into hangar, and Leia had never been more relieved to see the junk bucket in her life.

"Hurry up goldenrod or you're going to be a permanent resident!" Han shouted.

"Wait, wait!" Threepio protested.

Another explosion, larger this time, shook the hangar, and Leia cast a worried look at the two arguing copilots, who were busy fixing wires and not flying the ship.

"Would it help if I got out and pushed it?" she snapped, staring down Han.

"It might," he shot back. He raced to the cockpit and began flipping more switches, eventually resorting to slamming the bulkhead. Much to his satisfaction, it started the ship.

"This bucket of bolts is never going to get us past the blockade," Leia said. In seconds the Imperials would be upon them, and they would be done for.

"This baby's still got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart," Han said sardonically. Throwing himself into the pilot's seat, he was surprised when Chewie fired the laser gun.

 _We have to go now_, he thought to himself.

"Come on! Come on, lets switch over," he barked as he heard the Wookie enter the cockpit. "Lets hope we don't have a burnout." He could feel Leia's gaze piercing into the back of his head, and he grinned in satisfaction as the engine purred.

"See!"

"Someday you're going to be wrong, and I hope I'm there to see it," she said cuttingly, her glare unrelenting.

"Punch it," Han said, pointing to the thruster. The ship rocketed out of the hangar, and Han let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

"Director Isard, the freighter is heading towards an asteroid field!" one of the technicians shouted from the pit. The woman stared ahead, spotting the floating rocks in the distance.

"Dispatch all available TIE fighters. There's a hefty bounty on the heads of the inhabitants, we cannot lose them," Ysanne said, reminding her subordinates of what was at stake.

Mumbling broke out in the pit, and Isard's mismatched eyes roamed over the crew members, searching for the one that spoke the loudest. Satisfied with her choice, a male recruit she believed hailed from Serenno, she withdrew her sidearm from its holster and fired one shot into his chest.

"Does anyone else object to my methods?" she asked. The pit fell silent, and she turned back to the window. "Stay the course."

* * *

Leia got up and walked out of the cockpit, tired of sitting in darkness. Stumbling down the hall, she reached out to catch herself, and screamed in terror when she came into contact with flesh.

"I did not realize I was so terrifying," a soft voice quipped.

"What's going on back there?" Han shouted, his footsteps thundering down the hallway, sure of their way in the blackness.

"Nothing, Captain Solo, I only startled Princess Leia," Obi-Wan said. Her eyes now adjusted, Leia could vaguely see him bow his head in apology.

"A fearsome sight, he is," a gravely voice joined them.

"And who might you be?" Han asked sarcastically.

"This is Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, "although I'm afraid your proper meeting will have to wait until we are in adequate lighting. He is the fellow who lifted your ship earlier."

"Could have used your help earlier when we were dodging asteroids," Han said. "How did you get on here anyway without Chewie noticing?"

"I believe Chewbacca was fixing an electrical problem," Obi-Wan said kindly.

"Standing in the dark, how long do we intend to be?" Yoda inquired.

"Until the Imperial fleet passes," Han snapped, still sour at the memory of his ship floating away.

"I believe they have already done so," Obi-Wan said.

"How would you know that? We're all blind as bats in here," Han asked.

"A beacon of life star destroyers are, in the vacuum of space," Yoda said liltingly. "Yesterday's events, a believer I hoped to make of you, mmm."

"Come on Leia, lets get back to the cockpit," Han said, glaring at the two Jedi. Whenever one of them was around, something always seemed to go wrong. Yoda and his companion waited for Han and Leia to get out of earshot, before resuming their meditation.

* * *

The Imperial Director of Intelligence returned from her conversation with the Emperor, the bridge falling silent upon her arrival.

"Director Isard, our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing. If the Millennium Falcon went into light-speed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now," Captain Veers reported, his voice trembling with fear. If the Emperor had to personally deliver a message, it was never good.

"Alert all commands. Calculate every possible destination along their last know trajectory."

* * *

 _Cloud City_

The _Falcon_ touched down on landing pad 327, Leia exchanging an uneasy look with Yoda.

"I don't like this," she said.

"What would you like?" Han asked. Leia glared at him, falling silent at the sight of an approaching landing party.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"That would be Lando," Han said eagerly, getting up from his seat. He looked down at the two Jedi, and froze. "You two might want to stay on the ship. Lando might be alright, but I don't know about his employees."

"I agree, Captain Solo. Yoda and I will remain here," Obi-Wan said warmly. Satisfied they wouldn't be shot at for the time being, Han walked down the ramp.

"Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler! You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled," Lando's angry voice echoed off the walls.

'Me?' Han mouthed, pointing to himself innocently. Lando stormed towards him, and for a moment Leia thought he was going to strike him, but he embraced Han instead.

"How you doing, you old pirate?" Lando said with a laugh. "So good to see you! I never thought I'd catch up with you again. What are you doing here?"

"Repairs," Han said, gesturing to the Falcon. "I thought you could help me out."

"What have you done to my ship?"

"Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square," Han said. Lando's eyes flickered to the rest of the group, and his eyes settled on Leia.

"Hello," he said smoothly. "I'm Lando Calrissian, the administrator of this facility. Who might you be?"

"Leia," the Princess said coolly.

"Welcome, Leia," Lando said, kissing her hand.

"All right, all right," Han interrupted, taking Leia's hand.

"What's wrong with the Falcon?" Lando asked, briefly returning his gaze to Han.

"Hyperdrive."

"I'll have my people work on it," Lando said. "You know, it may not look like much, but that hunk of junk has saved my life quite a few times," he said to Leia. The trio walked inside, Chewbacca not far behind, surveilling the place. So far it looked the same as it had since he and Han had last been here. But that didn't mean something couldn't still be amiss.

* * *

"Chewbacca senses it too," Obi-Wan said, looking out the cockpit window.

"More observant the Wookies are, than humans," Yoda said, hobbling forwards. He watched the four of them disappear inside, a group of technicians walking out at the same time.

"I believe it is time we waited in the hold," Obi-Wan said, ducking back. The two navigated the now-familiar halls of the Falcon, and took a seat at the dejarik table. "I have been trying to reach Luke all day, but he is shutting me out. Understandably so," Obi-Wan said sadly, hanging his head.

"Angry, the boy is. Too much like his father," Yoda said disapprovingly. "Too late it is, to fix past mistakes. To save the boy, find him we must."

"His shielding is too strong. All I can tell is that he is on one of the Core Worlds."

"Then to the Core, we must journey," Yoda said.

"Are you mad? I'm the second most infamous person in the galaxy, second only to Luke...," Obi-Wan trailed off, deep in thought. A look of horror appeared on his face, chasing away any feelings of guilt.

"He's with Darth Sidious," Obi-Wan said solemnly.

"What make you say that?" Yoda asked.

"He's too well-known to get far without someone noticing. Luke has been gone for two days, more than enough time to travel to Imperial Center. We must go at once," Obi-Wan said, getting up from the chair.

"Wait!" Yoda said, his voice stopping Obi-Wan in his tracks. "Fueled by emotion, you are. Plan we must, if we are able to save Skywalker."

"What is there to plan?" Obi-Wan asked, turning to face the Grand Master. "You and I are not enough to stop Sidious. Our only hope is to reach Luke and help him escape. Which I can only do if I am closer to him."

"Calm yourself, Obi-Wan," Yoda said gently. It rarely happened, but every once in a while Obi-Wan would get carried away, especially where Skywalkers were concerned, and not think things through. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, closing his eyes obediently. A moment passed, and the pale blue eyes reopened.

"Master Yoda," he said quietly, his face frozen in deep thought, as if trying to remember a long-lost memory. "What were you saying to me after Luke left? I remember hearing your voice, but not what you said."

"Nothing that will help us now," Yoda said quickly, leaping down from the chair, he clang of the mechanics tools outside covering the sound of his landing. "Together, we must meditate, if to reach Skywalker, we are."

* * *

 _Imperial Center_

Luke walked down the ramp, eyes squinting in the reflected sunlight. Palpatine's friend strolled right past him, and Luke followed. The landing pad was vast, and the building in front of them opulent. Hand-sculpted statues adorned the walls, and Luke froze in awe, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Who was this Palpatine person who could afford such a place, yet be in hiding from the government? Alarms going off in his head, Luke reached for his blaster at the sight of the infamous Royal Guard.

"There's no need for that, Luke," the voice of Palpatine echoed across the landing pad, and Luke looked around, trying to find the source. Had he been foolish enough to walk into a trap?

"You can put your weapon away," the man from Eriadu said in a monotone. The Royal Guards had not advanced or indicated they were going to attack, so Luke holstered his weapon.

"I apologize for the surprise, but I feared you would not come otherwise," Palpatine's kindly voice rang out once more. The Royal Guard stepped aside, and Luke was shocked at the sight of Palpatine. He had expected the man to be older then Ben, but the short man in front of him was horrifically disfigured, and seemed well beyond human life expectancy.

"I earned this in a duel with a Jedi Master long ago," Palpatine said, noticing Luke's stare.

"I'm sorry," Luke said lamely.

"Not to worry, you were not the one who gave me these injuries," Palpatine said, showing a wan smile. "Come, we must eat. I'm sure you're famished from your journey, and the cuisine on Eriadu leaves much to be desired."

Luke nodded listlessly, the events of the past five minutes still running through his mind. The Royal Guards, the security windows, could it be...

"You're the Emperor, aren't you?" Luke said, staring in shock and awe at Palpatine. Growing up on Tatooine he had seen and heard little about the Empire, except for their minimal presence on the planet. Even in the rebellion, some feared him so much that they didn't dare to speak of him. Ben and Yoda had discussed him frequently of course, about how he was a Dark Lord of the Sith and had to be stopped, but after they had lied to him about his father, Luke didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Indeed I am, young Luke," Palpatine said, enjoying the look on his face. "Again I apologize for my deception. I do not know what Obi-Wan and Yoda may have told you about me."

"I understand."

"I am glad you are so open-minded. It is a trait many do not have, and it holds them back," Palpatine said. The two had arrived at a rather large set of doors, and Luke moved forward to open them. "Don't worry, I have it," Palpatine reassured him. Without blinking an eye, he opened the two doors smoothly, revealing a large banquet hall.

"All this is yours?" Luke asked, looking around in awe.

"It is. And it is yours as well while you are a guest here," Palpatine said warmly, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Tell me Luke, what did Obi-Wan say about your father?"

The curiosity on Luke's face instantly disappeared, replaced with a hardened look of anger.

"They told me my father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader," he said shortly, the outrage evident in his voice.

"How did you discover the truth, that Vader was your father?" Palpatine asked gently.

"Yoda told me."

"Yoda is still alive?" Palpatine asked, leaning forward at the news.

"Yes, he was living in exile for a long time," Luke said.

"Interesting," Palpatine said. He knew the galaxy was too vast to ever find Yoda, but he had hoped the old troll had died in one way or another. However, this could still work to his advantage. Yoda was far more powerful than Kenobi, and if he had been the one to teach the boy, then Luke was even more invaluable than before.

"How did you know my father?" Luke asked, ripping Palpatine from his thoughts.

"It is a bit of a long story, I hope the delicious stew will not distract you," Palpatine chuckled.

"It won't," Luke reassured him.

"Very well then," Palpatine said, clearing his throat. "Not long before you were born he became my apprentice. Together we were able to bring peace and stability to the galaxy, but it was at great personal cost to him. The Jedi betrayed him in the worst possible way, and, as a result, I do not believe he ever learned of your existence," he finished, his face gathered in a rather morose look.

"He never knew he had a son?" Luke asked, outraged at the deception. He knew his father had never known his identity, clearly, but Luke had liked to think that his father wondered about his long lost child.

"No. I myself did not know of your existence until you destroyed the Death Star." He noticed the young man go pale at the remark and chuckled. "There's no need to be so nervous, all is in the past. It is not everyday one meets a Force-sensitive such as yourself. Tell me, what all have you learned under the tutelage of Yoda?"

* * *

 _Cloud City_

Leia paced in the suite, biting her fingernail. Something was wrong, she could sense it.

"The ship will be ready soon, just a few more things. And, Lando has invited us to a night of gambling, on his dime," Han said, a wide grin on his face. "What do you say?" Perplexed by Leia's silence, he moved closer to her. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head, taking his hand.

"No. Let's go see what all the fuss is about."

* * *

The casino wasn't as impressive as she thought it would be. It was gaudy and noisy, lacking any of the refinement and class that made the casinos on Alderaan so enjoyable. Balking at the sudden memories, she took another drink of Naboo champagne, watching the game in front of her. It was from the Outer Rim, full of house rules and lots of cheating. Somehow Han managed to make money on it, but she was certain he was being hustled by two Toydarians across the table. The crowd around the table cheered as Han won another hand, and she reached for another cocktail, one that was a little stronger. Hopefully this one would help with her headache.

Without warning, Chewbacca grabbed her roughly by the arm and yanked her back, firing a shot into the crowd. Screams erupted in the casino lobby, millionaires from Coruscant and twi'lek entertainers scattering. A Transdoshan was opening fire on the three of them, and would have hit them if two blades hadn't appeared, slicing the gun and gunman in half. Shoes pounded against the tiled floor, and smoke filled the air as more blaster fire whizzed by. Reaching forward for Han, her hands made contact with a familiar jacket, and she pulled him up, firing at two other bounty hunters.

"This way!" Lando shouted, gesturing to the three of them. Keeping low, they raced across the open floor, blaster fire miraculously missing them. Firing off a few more shots, Leia was pulled into a secret hallway, the two Jedi Masters not far behind.

"How did you know his was going to start shooting!" Han shouted over the sound of their footsteps.

"The Force is good for more than lifting ships," Obi-Wan replied, his voice calm as ever.

The secret passageway emptied out into one of the main corridors, and the three ducked into a hallway as the squadron of stormtroopers opened fire on them from another walk-way.

"Why didn't you tell us Imperials were here!" Leia shouted, returning fire and taking down three of them.

"They came in under a fake call sign. Lobot was just telling me when the bounty hunters started shooting!" Lando explained.

"Can you get us back to the ship?" Han asked. Lando shouted directions, before running down an adjacent hallway, leaving the five on their own.

"Where the hell is he going?" Leia demanded. She _knew_ they should never have come here!

"He's going to lockdown the hallways, come on," Han said, pulling her away from the increasing blaster fire. Yoda and Obi-Wan covered their retreat, the blue and green blades spinning to deflect the red bolts. Her heart pumping, Leia barely noticed she and Han were holding hands as they raced down the hallway. She could hear blast doors closing behind them, and for once was grateful that Lando Calrissian was on their side. The windows they were running past showed the Millennium Falcon on the other side, and she ran faster than ever. They were so close, just one more doorway...

A blast sent them all to their feet, knocking the wind out of Leia as she landed facedown. Coughing the dust out of her lungs, she tried to see in the dust and smoke that was rising. She scrambled to her feet, her back against the wall for support.

"Han?" she coughed.

"Right here, Princess," he said, grabbing her shoulder for balance.

"Chewie?"

"Obi-Wan?"

Chewbacca roared in response, and Yoda waved his lightsaber, barely visible in the thick fog.

"Obi-Wan?" Leia called again.

"I'm here," he wheezed, stumbling forward. The Wookie wrapped his hairy arm under the Jedi's shoulders for support, and helped him down the hallway, firing his crossbow blindly behind him. Blaster fire rained down the hallway with the sound of stormtroopers fast approaching. Yoda's lightsaber moved as quickly and easily as ever, the Jedi Master doing all sorts of flips and flourishes, like that of a dancer performing for the first time after an injury. Han bolted for the ship, already going through the takeoff sequence in his head. Chewie roared something, and transferred the stumbling Obi-Wan to Leia, who nearly collapsed under the surprisingly heavy Jedi Master.

Trusting Yoda to deflect the more accurate bolts, Leia hurried across the landing pad, straining under Obi-Wan's weight. As she climbed the ramp, Han yelled from the cockpit.

"Strap in, we're in for a rough takeoff!"

Not eager to find out what Han's definition of 'rough' was, Leia called out to Yoda before situating Obi-Wan and herself in the med bay, the closest compartment with flight restraints. She heard the hiss of the ramp closing outside, and frantically buckled herself in. The ship lurched, and Obi-Wan groaned, his head lolling to the side.

"Obi-Wan?" Leia said, leaning over to see what was wrong. "Oh no," she mumbled.

"Han, Obi-Wan's been shot!" she shouted, slamming into the bulkhead as the ship rumbled once again.

"What?" Han yelled.

"Obi-Wan's been shot!" she screamed, the ships metal groaning as it rocked from side to side. She heard Han say something to Chewie in the cockpit, and footfalls sounded in the hallway.

"How bad is it?" he asked, grabbing the entryway for support.

"Right there," Leia said, pointing to the Jedi Master's stomach. Han's face hardened, and he ripped open a cabinet, pulling out a box.

"I've got some disinfectant and painkillers. Put some bacta on it, the med droid won't be able to stitch him up until we're in hyperspace," Han barked, tossing the box into her lap. He gave one last look at the Jedi Master, trying to gauge how well he was handling it. The old man might have gotten on his nerves, but he was good in conversation, doubly so in a fight.

"Don't you have a ship to fly?" Leia snapped, already rummaging through the box.

"On it," Han said, racing back to the cockpit, slamming into a few bulkheads along the way.

"Obi-Wan, hang in there," Leia said, cupping his face in her hands. "Can you hear me, Obi-Wan?" The old man nodded weakly, worrying Leia even more. Pushing all that aside, she began to sterilize the wound, her touch getting softer each time Obi-Wan winced. With steady hands she applied the bacta strip, sighing in relief as Obi-Wan relaxed, the cool sensation of the bacta numbing the pain. The ship rocked again, and the Jedi Master grunted.

"We'll be in hyperspace soon, don't worry," Leia reassured him. She had never seen him so pale and shaky, idly she wondered if Obi-Wan would survive the jump to light speed.

"Enough you have done," Yoda said, startling the Princess. "In the Force, we must trust now."

"We only have to make it to hyperspace," Leia protested.

"But a medical droid, we do not need, mmm," Yoda said, placing his ancient hands on Obi-Wan's wound. Eerily steady on the shaking ship, Yoda closed his eyes, recalling everything he had learned about Force healing in his 900 years of life. The two Jedi were still as a rock, and Leia feared the worst, when Obi-Wan woke with a start.

* * *

 _Imperial Center_

Luke listened intently as Palpatine told him what the galaxy had been like during the Clone Wars. He had heard legends of the galactic war, but nearly all the records had been destroyed, and those who studied history on Tatooine were few and far in-between.

Sitting with the Emperor was an odd situation, but the man had been nothing but kind to him, and considering all the trouble Luke had caused for the Empire, he wasn't going to question it. A voice in the back of his head was nagging him to go back to Ben, but Luke dismissed it. For once someone was telling him the truth, he wasn't going to brush an opportunity like this aside.

"I believe it is time I retired for the evening," Palpatine said, rising from his chair. Luke followed suit, staying close to the Emperor as he led him through the vast halls of the palace.

"You're very much like your father when I first met him. Lots of untapped potential, betrayed by the Jedi. And they say history doesn't repeat itself," Palpatine chuckled. He stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning to face Luke. "I believe this is where I leave you. It was an honor to meet you, young Skywalker."

"It is an honor to meet you too," Luke said, nodding respectfully. A servant appeared from the shadows, and led Luke to his quarters.

It was the most opulence he had seen in his entire life. Gold-plated wooden furniture adorned the suite, vast tapestries covering the walls, detailing the events of wars long ago. Fingering the fabric of the sheets, Luke was astounded by the quality, it was softer than anything he had touched on Tatooine. Spying a holoport in the corner, he made his way over, determined to learn more about the Clone Wars. He had learned more about his father and the galaxy before his birth in one evening with Palpatine than he had under six months of training with Yoda and Ben. But his hunger for knowledge ocould not be satiated, and Luke pulled up the first database he saw on the Clone Wars. He read how the Jedi had tried to take over the Republic, and an army of clones had to be manufactured to defend the galaxy from them. While his father would wind up becoming a Sith Lord, it didn't make his exploits as a Jedi any less interesting. To read about the things his father had accomplished, and by extension the things Luke himself was capable, made him wonder why Ben hadn't been honest with him about his parentage. Was Ben afraid he would follow in the same footsteps as is father, and vow to destroy the Jedi?

 _They've put you on the same path as your father because they treated you the same way they treated him_ , a voice in his head argued.

And this voice was right.

Yoda's grievances against training him had all been because he was too much like his father. He hadn't even looked at Luke as a separate person, only as an extension of his father, who he had never met. It was no wonder the Jedi Order had faded into obscurity by the tie of the Clone Wars, they were too stagnant to keep pace with the times. If they had been so worried about Luke falling, they should have been honest with him. Compared to what Palpatine had told him, the Jedi had only fed him lies and half-truths. They had never given him straight information, always a slant to whatever they said. Furious at the thought that he had been duped by the Jedi like his father, Luke flung one of the holodisks across the room, making a satisfying _clunk_ against the wall.

Luke let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in, feeling the catharsis of releasing his emotions. It felt so good to give in and express himself after months of repression. Politics in the alliance, drama among crew members, frustrations with his training, all things Yoda and Ben had told him to empty into the Force. But now he was free to do as he pleased, with no lectures from Ben or disapproving looks from Yoda. As his eyelids grew heavy, Luke realized the lateness of the hour and began to prepare himself for bed. He hadn't brought much with him, he had left the rebel base in such a hurry. Yet the Emperor had provided him with everything. Lying in bed, Luke tried to fall asleep, millions of thoughts running through his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Had some stuff come off so I'll be offline for a little while. Next chapter should be up around March 2018.**

 **To clarify, the events of the last chapter happened over the span of two days. Also, the 'prequel' events are going to be based off of information given in the OT so they align better.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

 _Imperial Center_

Staring out at the skyline, Luke was amazed by the orderliness of the traffic and the planning of the city-planet. Tatooine was far from either of those, and and the Rebellion didn't stay in one place long enough to be so regimented. Yet the civilization before him could not stop his mind from wandering back to what Palpatine had said about his father. He had learned more in two days from the Emperor than he had learned from Ben in a lifetime. How the Jedi Council had forcibly separated his parents, and caused her death. How the pacifist approach of the Jedi had allowed other groups to threaten the Republic, and it was only the Empire that was strong enough to get them under control. Luke learned how his father had progressed faster than he had under any of the Jedi's teachings, only to be held back and told he was not good enough.

Luke knew the Emperor had his own bias, yet still something didn't sit right. He knew the injustices the Jedi had committed, and had plenty of access to Clone Wars historical documents, but still the Emperor's actions had seemed so, _extreme_. But in the thousands of years of history of the Jedi, dozens of Sith Orders had been wiped out by Jedi. It seemed to be an endless cycle of violence, one that would never be resolved.

Shaking his head, Luke retreated back into his suite, ready to look up more information on his father. Perhaps if he found out more details about his life, before and after the Clone Wars, then things would make more sense.

Suddenly Luke's abdomen exploded in pain, causing him to fall to his knees, gasping in breath. The sensation left as quickly as it had come, leaving only an ache behind. Puzzled, Luke closed his eyes, somehow knowing the Force was behind it. Concentrating, he focused on himself, working his way outwards. Gradually he expanded beyond the palace, and eventually the planet, which seemed to be covered in a sort of haze. Attributing it to the untold billions of life-forms on the world, Luke pushed through. The further he reached into the Force, the greater the pain became. Slowly, a fuzzy image began to appear in Luke's vision, the face of a woman. Puzzled, Luke focused trying to pinpoint it's source. The room looked familiar, as the picture gradually came into focus. As the image became clearer, Luke realized with horror he recognized the surroundings.

 _The Falcon, Leia, Ben_ , he thought, anxiety coursing through his veins. That's who had reached out to him in the Force!

The distraction caused him to lose his place, casting him back to the palace. Scowling in frustration, he stood up sharply, grabbing his bag. Whatever had happened to Ben was enough to cause Luke pain on Coruscant, and no matter how Luke felt towards the man he had called a mentor, he couldn't ignore him when he was clearly reaching out to him. In the brief moment of clarity the Millennium Falcon was easily recognizable, meaning they were on a journey somewhere. But that didn't make any sense, they were on Hoth, which had fully-capable medical facilities.

A lump forming in his throat, Luke picked up the pace, trying to remember his way back to the landing pad. His ship should still be there, and if not he would scour the palace if he had too. If Ben and Leia were on the Falcon that meant Han was with them, and Chewie. Four of the people he was closest with in the galaxy, on the run in the Falcon.

"Halt. Where are you going?" a stormtrooper asked, blocking Luke's path.

"I'm going to my ship."

"You don't have authorization for that."

 _Authorization?_ Thinking back to Tatooine, Luke waved his hand, speaking in a slow, hypnotic tone.

"I have authorization."

"Let me see your orders," the stormtrooper said, unyielding. Taking a deep breath, Luke tried again, focusing on his words.

"I have authorization."

"You have authorization," the stormtrooper echoed.

"You will give me directions to the landing pad."

* * *

On the other side of the palace, Sidious sensed a disruption in the Force. More than a disruption, _the Light Side_. Not wasting a second, the Emperor rose from his throne, moving quickly down the hallways. He had sensed the boy's emotions the past few days, noting with pleasure they were growing more and more turbulent by the day. But moments ago they had suddenly steadied out, torn between grim determination and compassion. At first, Sidious had thought the boy was finally torn between the Light and Dark, and a few more dinners would settle any qualms he had about the Dark Side. But it was not what he had imagined, as he could sense the boy's purpose growing, as if bringing a candle into a cavern that had not seen light in a millennia.

Blowing past the stormtrooper who had been foolish enough to let the boy pass, the Emperor unleashed a storm of Sith lightning, stopping the stormtroopers heat instantly. The Jedi would not swindle him of an apprentice, not for a second time.

He entered the hangar where Luke was boarding his ship, putting on an air of concern.

"I hear you will be leaving us," Sidious said, his voice bouncing off the hard, polished surfaces.

"My friends are in danger, something is wrong," Luke said hurriedly, not looking up from the controls. Silently, the Emperor made his way across the hangar, closing the distance between them with surprising speed.

He was so close to the boy's ship, nearly there, when the engines fired up. Howling, the Sith Lord raised his hands, his mind focused solely on keeping the ship in place.

* * *

The engines were rumbling, but the ship was barely moving. Puzzled, Luke inspected the indicator lights, looking for some sort of malfunction. Not finding anything, he pushed the throttle as far as it would go.

* * *

Sidious was vaguely aware of a shout, and opened his eyes to the sight of an X-Wing barreling towards him. Abandoning any pretenses, the Sith Lord leaped away with the speed of a shadow.

* * *

 _The Millennium Falcon, Anoat Sector_

"I have failed you, I have failed the galaxy," Obi-Wan mumbled, sweat dripping down his face. Calmly, Yoda took the human's hands in his own.

"No failure there is, on the side of the Light. Only perception of," Yoda said serenely.

"Luke is gone because of my actions," Obi-Wan rasped.

"Did what you must, to save yourself, to save the galaxy. Or dead, you would be, and hope as well," Yoda said reassuringly. "Terrorize Luke, Vader would."

"What are we going to do, Yoda?"

"Train another, we will."

"What other?" Obi-Wan asked. Either he was becoming delirious, or Yoda was losing his mind.

"Another Skywalker, there is," Yoda said simply. At first Obi-Wan said nothing, realization slowly dawning on his face as he processed what the Grand Master had said.

"Rest you must," Yoda said with finality. He placed his hand on his fellow Jedi Master's forehead, sending the man into a deep trance.

* * *

 **Thank you for all the support! And don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

 _Kuat Sector_

"Yes Artoo I see them!" Luke snapped, frantically flipping switches in the cockpit. He had dropped out of hyperspace to refuel and caught the attention of some nearby Imperial cruisers. They had taken out his hyperdrive before he could make another jump, and now he was piloting his ship towards the surface of the planet. Fortunately the planet was heavily trafficked and cranked out ships by the thousands, giving Luke ample opportunities to blend in, and dodge blaster fire if need be.

"Start scanning the planet, we need to land where there's as few Imperials as possible," Luke said into his comm, and Artoo responded with a series of whistles, getting to work right away. Suddenly Luke's ship rocked, and he narrowly avoided slamming his head into the dashboard. Alarms began to sound from the console, and Luke saw smoke streaming from his right wing. Indicator lights showed he had lost his third engine, and he couldn't lose another if he wanted to stand a chance of surviving a crash landing.

"Hunker down Artoo," Luke said, pushing his throttle as far forward as it would go. Instantly the ship shot forward, careening to the left despite Luke's best efforts to countersteer.

* * *

The Emperor's Hand watched the X-Wing's trail of smoke as it careened into the atmosphere. Soon he would finish off Skywalker, and the last threat to the stability of the Empire. Once the farmer boy was taken care of, he would rise to his rightful place of Sith Apprentice, ruling the galaxy at his master's side.

The ship responded to his slightest touch, steadily gliding towards the out of control X-Wing.

* * *

The windshield of the X-Wing popped open, and the resistance pilot hopped out, thankful he had chosen his more nondescript from Tatooine to make his escape as opposed to the bright orange jumpsuit of the Rebellion. Looking up to the horizon, he could see the small black ship streaming towards him.

"Artoo we have to split up," Luke said urgently, grabbing a tracker from one of the droids compartments. "I'll see you soon little guy, don't worry."

* * *

 _Millennium Falcon, Sanbra Sector_

"How is he?" Leia asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Resting, he is," Yoda answered, opening his eyes. "Awake, he soon will be."

"At least we're away from the Empire," Leia said, pursing her lips in thought.

"Troubling you, something is," Yoda observed, his tone indicating he knew it was beyond the recent interaction with the Empire.

"I can understand how they found us on Cloud City, but tracking us down to Hoth... it just doesn't make any sense. We detected a probe entering the atmosphere two hours before, but that's not nearly enough time to organize a fleet of that size. The feel would have to have been in the area to assemble that quickly, and they weren't on our readouts. Either our systems are faulty, or they were tipped off," she said. "What do you think?"

"I must think," the Jedi Master responded, closing his eyes. As he drifted off, Leia went over every detail of their last few days on Hoth. There had to be something, she was just missing it.

* * *

 _Kuat_

Luke Skywalker ducked into an alleyway as a squad of stormtroopers turned onto the street, their weapons in plain view. Luke could sense the fear and confusion of the citizens of Kuat, and knew it was very unlikely any of them would offer him any assistance. Hurrying down the alley, he checked on his shields, making sure he was undetectable by any Force-sensitive. As he passed by a bar, he risked a look inside, and was shocked to see his face staring back at him from one of the holodisplays. Checking there was no one else around, he peered in the window, and saw the bounty on his head was significantly larger than the large sum it was before. And the Empire no longer cared if he was taken dead or alive.

Stepping away, he threw up his hood, thinking of how much this changed things. He was already a marked man after blowing up the Death Star, but only the Imperials, Rebels, and their sympathizers knew who he was, not ordinary civilians. First thing he had to do was get off world before the Empire could send reinforcements, second was getting somewhere far more desolate.

Luke was so lost in his thoughts he nearly stumbled out into the street, the Force stopping him seconds before by crying out a warning. Retreating into the shadows of the duracrete building, Luke let out a sigh of relief as a different pack of stormtroopers walked down the sidewalk, scanning the crowds for any sign of them. Once they passed, Luke slipped out onto the sidewalk, making sure they stayed in front of him. Effortlessly he crossed the roadway, dodging the bikes that the locals drove like maniacs. Earlier he had spotted a less secure drydock, and if he could make off with a ship that hadn't been registered yet, it would make it much harder for the Empire to track him. It was a few blocks away, but he was certain he could make it there undetected.

* * *

The towering duracrete buildings cast equally long shadows down on the dwarfed figures that milled about between them. Each block of buildings was segregated by low-lying drydocks, giving the illusion of duracrete hills and valleys. High up on the duracrete buildings, Imperial ships intermittently appeared, depositing stormtroopers before departing, the stormtroopers spreading out along the walkways that connected the buildings. In the lower levels of one of the buildings, Luke Skywalker made his way through the Kuat natives, blending in as well as he could. Luke could sense the increased tension in the city, and knew it would not be long before one of the Imperial teams spotted him. There were three teams if he headed west, and if he went south there were five. The drydock was only a block away, if he could just make it to the next alleyway-,

A red blade erupted in front of him, causing Luke to jump back in surprise, his hand grabbing his own blade. A dark figure stepped forward, a man who Luke grimly recognized as the acquaintance the Emperor had escort him from Eriadu to Imperial Center. The man did not waste a second, and lunged forward, barely giving Luke enough time to activate his own green blade, the two hissing as they collided. As quickly as they had clashed the man from Eriadu pulled his lightsaber back, moving in for another swipe. Again Luke narrowly deflected it, too distracted from trying to keep the fight out of view of the stormtroopers. If they saw the fight and surrounded him, he would be done for.

"It's useless Skywalker, they'll have you surrounded in no time," the man hissed, the red glow from his lightsaber casting a shadow over his angular features.

Not bothering to respond, Luke used the Force and summoned a nearby trash can, sending it flying towards the man. To his shock, the man was easily able to deflect it, directing it back to Luke. Raising his lightsaber Luke sliced it in half, quickly deducing the source of the man's training. He had to be an Imperial Hand, one of the Dark Siders Ben had warned him about. The Hands weren't supposed to be as powerful in the Force as a Jedi, but this wasn't the first time Luke was beginning to question one of his former Master's teachings.

Moving faster than Luke could counter, the Hand jabbed his lightsaber forward, forcing Luke's back to the wall as he stumbled back to deflect it. Inwardly Luke cursed. If he was going to make it out of this alive, he needed to move and think _fast_.

Letting the Force take control, Luke shoved back against the attackers blade, giving himself a few precious inches of room to move. Using it to his advantage, he ducked under the next swipe and rose up, aiming straight for the Hand's chest. What felt like a brick wall slammed into his chest, and Luke crashed into the wall, his vision briefly going black. Blinking in an attempt to make his vision focus, he saw the blurry outline of the lightsaber coming down on him. Rolling to the side, he cried out as the blade burned across his arm. Leaping to his feet, Luke dodged another swipe, his main focus evading the Dark Side user. Out of the corner of his eye he could vaguely make out the railing that ran along the edge of the balcony, and the dry dock that was eight stories below. Swinging his lightsaber forward with his injured arm, Luke leaned back and wrapped his good hand around the pole, before swinging himself over.

The wind blew around him, howling in his ears as the pavement grew closer and closer. His arms and legs kicked and reached for something to hold onto, reacting to the sudden disappearance of solid ground. Praying that his plan would work, Luke called on the Force with all his might, focusing on slowing his descent as much as possible, coming to a stop at a distance that wouldn't shatter every bone in his body. Suddenly the wind stopped howling, the only remaining sound the shouts of the stormtroopers as they pointed at the falling man from the skywalks. Opening his eyes, Luke was shocked to see that his nose was an inch from the ground. As if he had broken some sort of trance, he hit the ground chest first, knocking the wind out of him. Looking up at the balcony he had just thrown himself off of, he locked eyes with the hand for a brief second before he backed up, preparing to leap off the balcony as well.

Not wasting a second, Luke scrambled to his feet, deflecting blaster shots with his lightsaber. Ignoring the throbbing sensation in his arm, Luke darted towards the first ship he saw, a small Kuati cargo ship that seemed to be ready to fly. He ran past the startled mechanic, heading straight for cockpit. The mechanic shouted a few choice words at him, but scattered when the blaster bolts started coming. Going into the emergency take-off sequence, Luke prayed there was enough fuel to make it off-world. As if answering his prayers, the engines hummed to life, the displays illuminating on the never before used console. Letting the Force guide him, Luke waited for the engines pitch to increase before pulling up on the joystick, noting with satisfaction that the Hand had been unable to reach the ship before he lifted off.

Satisfied the Hand was no longer a threat for now, Luke shifted his attention to the Imperial ships ahead, looking for a hole in the blockade.

* * *

 _Millennium Falcon, Sanbra Sector_

"Han, have you heard from Luke?" Leia asked. The two were alone in the cockpit, Chewie had gone off to take a nap, and the two Jedi Masters were in the med bay.

"No, he's probably already at the rendezvous point," Han reassured her. "Besides, the kid seems to be a bit more keen on you than me." Leia rolled her eyes, unsurprised by the smugglers juvenile comment.

"How long will it take _us_ to reach the rendezvous point?"

"A standard day. You had to choose a sector that's clear on the other side of the galaxy," Han grumbled.

"It makes it harder for the Empire to track us, which is more important than we realized considering the past few days events," Leia explained.

"What do you mean, your highness?"

"Oh would you quit calling me that? Clearly the Empire was tipped off to our presence on Hoth somehow," she snapped.

"What makes you so certain? Maybe they just figured we were hiding out in the middle of nowhere?"

"Because there's plenty of other middle of nowheres in the galaxy, but they somehow stumble upon ours?"

"Maybe you're just unlucky."

"I've had enough of this," Leia sighed, getting up from her seat.

"Princess wait, comeback," Han said, standing up. Ignoring him, Leia stormed off down the hallway, leaving him alone in the cockpit. Glancing between the controls and hallway and back again, Han scowled before taking off after her.

"I didn't mean,-" he said, stopping in the doorway of the medbay. Leia was looking down at the old man's feeble form, and the little green alien that had levitated his ship before was sleeping on the chair.

"Are we interrupting something?" Han asked, earning himself a glare from Leia.

"Your disturbances are great in the Force. These things, we do not need," Yoda said, startling Han.

"What are you going on about? The old man needs a doctor," Han argued.

"Are you always so petulant?" Leia snapped. "Listen to someone besides yourself for once!"

"Quiet!" Yoda yelled, slamming his gimer stick into the deck of the ship. "He is awakening."

The two fell silent, their eyes focusing on Ben's stirring form. Slowly the old Jedi blinked, waiting patiently for the room to come into focus.

"What happened?" he croaked, propping himself up on his elbows as Leia rushed to his side to steady him.

"You took some shrapnel at Cloud City nearly a day ago," the princess explained, checking his bandages. "I've never seen them heal this quickly, even with bacta."

"Many things are possible, in the Force," Yoda said serenely, a half smile on his face. "Good morning, old friend."

"Is anyone else injured?" Ben asked.

"Chewie needed a few stitches but the med droid took care of that," Han answered.

"Have we found Luke yet?"

"Found Luke? What do you mean? He's meeting us at the rendezvous like everyone else," Leia said, warily looking between the two Jedi. Noticing the expressions they were sharing, she took a step back from Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan, where's Luke?" she repeated, the concern rippling in her voice. Ben cast one more guilty look at Yoda, before taking a deep breath.

"Leia I'm so sorry, but Luke left."

"What do you mean he 'left'? He wouldn't just desert like that, not in the middle of a battle!" Leia nearly shouted, quickly moving towards Obi-Wan. "I can't believe you would say something like that!"

Suddenly the ship lurched, sending Han into the bulkhead and causing Leia to stumble.

"Is anyone flying this thing?" she snapped. Without another word Han took off towards the cockpit, leaving Leia alone with the two Jedi.

"Debris field, strap yourselves in!" Han shouted down the hall.

"Don't think this is over yet," Leia said, buckling herself into the seat across from the green alien. "Why would Luke leave?"

"We weren't as honest with him as we should have been," Obi-Wan admitted. "There were things we should have told him, I have failed him, I have failed them all."

"Too harsh you are on yourself Obi-Wan," Yoda said. "Mistakes were made with both of them, but not all."

"I don't understand."

"Another Skywalker, there is," Yoda said. Leia looked on in confusion, while realization dawned on Obi-Wan's face.

"That's what you told me the day he left." Yoda nodded coyly, his twinkling eyes looking directly at Leia. "Still hope there is, for this galaxy."

"Who?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "There was only Luke after-,"

"Entirely honest with you, I have not been Obi-Wan," Yoda said, his features beginning to harden. "Trusted, few could be after Vader was born. Too dangerous it was, to keep the twins together."

"Twins?" Obi-Wan echoed, his eyebrows leaping up in surprise.

"Twins, yes," Yoda said. "To his family, I took the boy, sure that to his homeworld, Vader would never return. With the mother, I left the girl."

"I thought she...," Kenobi began, trailing off after he saw the look of sadness on his masters face.

"Betrayed, she was, by one of our agents a few years later. Fortunately, away the girl was. Grew up safe, and well-cared for, did she."

"Vader is Luke's father?" Leia interrupted, bewildered by the tale the Jedi was telling. "Someone loved Vader enough to have _children_?"

"Leia, you must understand," Obi-Wan explained. "Before he fell, Vader was my best friend, his name was Anakin Skywalker. We fought together in the Clone Wars, side by side. He saved my life many times, and I his. But he was too attached, and feared loss. The Sith promised him powers we could not, and that was his undoing." The old Jedi Master shifted in his seat, his eyes drifting off into the distance.

No longer wanting to hear anyone try to humanize the man who had tortured her and destroyed her homeworld, Leia returned her attention to Yoda.

"So Luke has a sister?" she asked, changing the subject. "Does she know who he is?"

"No. Made sure I did, that neither knew of the other," Yoda said remorsefully. "A dark place the galaxy was, and still is."

"Well who is she? She could be in terrible danger if the Empire finds out," Leia said. If Luke's mother was known to the Empire after she was supposed to be dead, they could easily hunt down this twin sister if they wanted to use her against Luke. It certainly wasn't something they would hesitate to do.

"Difficult it would be, for her to get into any more danger," Yoda said, a slight lilt returning to his voice.

"Yoda she is right, we must find her," Obi-Wan added.

"Why? In front of us, she is."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

The only sound that could be heard was the breathing of the three life forms in the med bay and the air coming out of the ventilation shaft.

" _What_?" Leia said, gaping at Yoda. _If_ the Jedi Master was telling the truth, that would mean that Vader was her..., _father_.

"Yes, Princess," Yoda said softly. "Twenty-two years ago, born to Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, you were."

Leia froze, trying to make sense of what Yoda was telling her. She had always known she was adopted, her parents had never been shy about it, but they had always been rather cryptic about who her biological parents were. And now to find out her biological sire was none other than Darth Vader?

"Who did you say my mother was?" Leia breathed, pushing the thoughts of Vader from her mind. She could not, she _would not_ think of what had happened on the Death Star.

"Padme Amidala," Yoda answered, his eyes seemingly staring into Leia's soul.

"Padme Amidala?" Leia echoed. Why did that name sound familiar?

"She was a queen and a Senator," Obi-Wan continued, a smile appearing on his face. "You look just like her, it's a wonder I didn't see it before."

"She was the Senator from Naboo during the Clone Wars, my parents worked with her," Leia said, the realization slowly dawning on her. "They told me she was killed during the Jedi Purge."

"That's what we wanted everyone to believe, and for a while we had thought it had worked," Obi-Wan said morosely. "After Vader was... created, your mother wasn't safe. Communication was spotty at best across the galaxy, and we knew that the Emperor had placed a hit out on her. She was his last connection to the Light Side, the only thing that stood a chance of bringing him back."

"Can we please not talk about him?" Leia snapped.

"Of course. Your father, Bail, supplied us with information he had intercepted regarding the attempt on Padme's life. In advance we prepared for the assassin to believe he had succeeded, but then the unexpected happened. Your mother went into labor sooner than we anticipated, and we had to adapt. I was on Alderaan at the time helping Bail, Yoda was with Padme on Naboo. I was always told that Padme had given birth to Luke sooner than expected, and he was discovered by the bounty hunter during the 'assassination'. After that Yoda and I decided that it was unsafe to keep the two of them together and I was to take him to Tatooine straightaway and watch over him. I remained there ever since, and everything I know of after that is only what Yoda told me. I was told Padme went into hiding on Jedha, a planet remote enough to avoid the most of the Imperials, yet crowded enough to blend in. Unfortunately they began strip-mining operations four years later, and that's when Imperial intelligence found out she was alive and well."

Leia took a deep breath, knowing what Obi-Wan was about to tell her. She had thought she had lost everything to the Empire, her parents, her planet, only to find out that she had lost her birth mother and her brother to the Empire as well. It was terrifying how a regime could wield such power, destroying families for generations at the flick of a switch or the push of a button.

"Difficult it was, to reach your mother under martial law. Thought the Empire had become slow, we did, when only more subtle they had become. A powder keg, the city was, a spark it could not take. When coming back from work, 'malfunctioned' your mother's speeder did. Unknown, your existence was, so to Alderaan I took you, to the friends of your mother. When safe, I knew you were, exiled myself, I did."

Again the room fell silent, each party mulling over the past.

"We have to find Luke," Leia finally said, rising from her seat.

"More, we must discuss, Princess," Yoda said.

"What more is there to talk about? He's the only family I've got left in the entire galaxy, I won't let the Empire take him too!"

"Of your training, we must speak."

"My training?" Leia echoed.

"Your Jedi training," Obi-Wan elaborated.

"Why in the galaxy would I become a Jedi?" she scoffed.

"Strong with the Force, you are."

"I'm not the one who blew up the Death Star without my targeting computer."

"But no one can seem to shoot straight when you're in the room," Obi-Wan commented.

"Not every stormtrooper I've come across is the best the Empire has to offer."

"Difficult to see, even when young you were," Yoda said calmly, slowing down the conversation. "Shielded yourself for years you have."

"Yoda I doubt I could learn such a skill when I was barely able to form memories," Leia countered. She looked to Obi-Wan for moral support, and noticed the old man looked a tad paler than he had earlier.

"Obi-Wan are you alright?" she asked, moving a little closer.

"I'm fine, I just need my rest," he said quietly, settling himself on the cot.

"Discuss this another time, we will," Yoda said, hopping down from his perch.

"Rest well Obi-Wan, we need you," Leia said softly. Quietly the two filed out of the room, returning to the cockpit.

"Everything alright back there? I thought I heard some shouting," Han said, turning away from the controls for a brief moment.

"We're fine," Leia said, sinking into the back seat.

Looking between the two's solemn faces, Han decided now wasn't the best time to press them and faced front.

* * *

 _Lantillies, Mid Rim_

Luke Skywalker enjoyed the feeling of wind rippling through his hair and sending his robes flying as he sped over the grassy hills. The ship building world hosted an Imperial base on the other hemisphere, but Luke felt weightless. It reminded him of flying his skyhopper through Beggar's Canyon back home with Biggs, before the Empire had become a cruel reality.

On this side of the planet settlements were few and far in between, and the only way to get around was on an off-road landspeeder like the one Luke was riding right now. On the bag he had a bag packed of few essentials he needed to make a home in the hills, away from the Empire, away from the Rebellion, away from the Jedi. The Force had guided him to this world, as he had gotten there just in time before the winter systems would make travel between the two hemispheres impossible anywhere in the atmosphere.

Coming to a stop on top of the hill, Luke dismounted from his speeder and looked about. Here he had a clear vantage point for miles, with a small cluster of trees to provide him some cover. A river ran along the base of the hill, weaving through the valley. Satisfied, Luke tossed his bag down onto the ground, ready to get to work.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

* * *

Three Years Later...

 _Sertar Sector_

Leia Organa patiently looked out the porthole, watching space pass them by. She was always one to give credit where credit was due, and she could certainly say that her Jedi training had improved her patience. If someone had told her four years ago that she would be crossing two sectors of the galaxy below light speed, she would have laughed. But here she was, on a shuttle they had commissioned on Florrum, flying off to a mystery destination that Yoda and Obi-Wan refused to disclose, other than that it would be a long trip, and she should prepare herself. For what, they refused to tell her. After three years she had thought she was closer to being treated like a Jedi Knight, but then she remembered she would be the only Jedi Knight in the galaxy, under the only Jedi Master and Grandmaster in the galaxy.

Taking a step back from the window, Leia returned to the hold, where she saw not much had changed. Obi-Wan was still leaning against the wall, asleep once again, and Yoda was somehow meditating on the constantly rocking ship. Neither were in a state to be disturbed, so Leia took the same seat she had been in earlier, and tried to imagine she was someplace else. Meditation had never been her strong suit, and it certainly didn't help pass the time.

The first thoughts that came to mind were of the Rebellion, which she quickly pushed aside. She had agreed to leave the Rebellion for a week, and worrying about it would only make it seem longer. So she rerouted her attention to her present situation. Yoda and Obi-Wan were taking her to what critical thinking told her was some sort of trial. Obviously this would involve some sort of confrontation with one of her fears or insecurities. She knew somehow the destruction of Alderaan would come up, and the Death Star...

 _Not now_ , she thought to herself, banishing the thoughts. Tears still came to her eyes whenever someone so much as mentioned Alderaan, not that she ever let it show. But sheer determination always replaced her sadness before she had time to dwell on it. Yoda said it was unhealthy, to push aside emotions in that way, but she would be damned if she suffered through those days for nothing. If becoming a Jedi Knight was the only to destroy the Empire, then so be it, she would do it.

She did notice, however, how much her emotions troubled her mentors. Obi-Wan was far more subtle in his criticisms than Yoda ever would be, but she knew it worried him all the same. They thought her biological relationship with Darth Vader placed her at some sort of predisposition for going off her rocker and plunging the galaxy into chaos. What they had yet to realize, was that she could not be any more different from that monster. Bail and Breha were her parents, not the man in the suit. She had spent her adolescence learning about the atrocities the Empire had committed, not studying the Dark Side. And there was certainly nothing the Dark Side could offer, especially not from the Emperor.

If anything she took after her mother. Spearheading the founding of a rebel movement, actively fighting the corrupt system that ruled the galaxy, having a hefty bounty placed on her head, they should be worried she became too much like Padme Amidala. Thinking about Alderaan and her parents was often too painful to dwell on, and instead she began to do more research into her birth mother. At first it was merely out of disbelief that anyone could come to love Darth Vader, but the more she learned about the Queen of Naboo the more she realized she may have something in common besides her physical appearance.

She only wished Obi-Wan and Yoda would do the same. For one, she wasn't Luke. It was a low blow, but she hadn't run off after learning the news of her real paternity, and had stuck to the training far longer. She didn't give in to her emotions no matter how much Yoda said they ran through her.

Maybe it was all part of some grandiose plan to make sure she never turned to the Dark Side, she would never know.

 _I've gone stir-crazy, and it's barely been a day,_ she thought to herself.

"Worry, you should not. Soon arrive will we," Yoda said, startling her.

Leia returned to the porthole and looked out once again, only seeing an orange dustball in the distance.

"Where is here?"

"Korriban."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

* * *

 _Korriban_

"Why are we going to a Sith World?" Leia asked, dumbfounded.

"Your last trial you must face, before a Knight you can become," Yoda said, closing his eyes in meditation. "Meditate we must, before we arrive."

As the Jedi Masters across from her meditated, Leia's mind was running wild. She had only heard bits and pieces of information about the Sith World, and that it was a horrible place, full of the Dark Side of the Force and Sith ghosts trying to destroy whoever came to the planet. What was Yoda thinking?

"You must quiet your mind, or the planet will only take advantage of it," Obi-Wan said softly.

"Yes, Master Kenobi." Leia calmed her breathing, shifting her thoughts to the gardens of Alderaan...

* * *

"We're here," Obi-Wan said, startling Leia. "Or we're about to land, actually. There are a few things you should know before you land. We will drop you off at the mouth of the Valley of the Dark Lords. Your trial will be complete when you reach the Great Sith Temple."

"How will I know I'm there?"

"You'll know," Obi-Wan said grimly. "A bit about the wildlife. The terentateks, they feed off the blood of Force-sensitives and look a bit like rancors. Their claws and tusks are poisonous, so don't get near them. The shyracks are batlike creatures with razor sharp teeth, and they'll swarm you if you go into any of their caves. However it is winter on Korriban, so they should be dormant. Tukata are beasts that guard the tombs, they have sharp claws and teeth as well, they can communicate with each other as well."

"Any other deadly creatures I should know about?"

"I believe that is all. Here, take this," he said, handing her what she recognized as an ancient homing beacon. "Activate it when you reach the Sith Temple, and we'll come get you."

"And where will you be while I'm exploring Korriban?"

"We'll be orbiting the planet, waiting for your signal."

"I'll make sure to keep this safe," Leia said, tucking it into a small pocket inside her cloak. She felt the ship slightly jostle as it landed, signaling the beginning of her final trial.

"I'm taking off in five minutes," the pilot yelled. She could sense his uneasiness from here, and knew he was going to stick to his timeline.

"A strong will you have, important on this journey, it will be," Yoda said.

"Your parents would be very proud of you, Leia."

"Thank you," Leia said, trying not to choke up at the mention of her parents.

"Now you go, Leia Organa, to become one of us," Yoda said, stepping forward. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you," Leia echoed, bowing her head slightly.

"Now your provisions, I must get," the little green alien said, tottering back to the cabin.

"Whatever happens, do _not_ enter the Temple after sundown. Staying on that dustball an extra night is far better than what you'll encounter in there," Obi-Wan said quickly.

"Wise advice, that is," the Jedi Grandmaster agreed as he hobbled back into the room. "Great care you must take, but well you will do."

"One minute!" the pilot shouted anxiously.

"I better get going, I'll see you at the Sith Temple," Leia called over her shoulder as she pulled up her hood.

* * *

The sense of foreboding coming from the Valley of the Dark Lords was indescribable. Part of Leia wanted to activate her homing beacon now just to get away from this place, but then she would never become a Jedi Knight.

Ignoring what her instincts were telling her to do, Leia walked down the incline, making careful observations of the dark place she was descending into.

It was early morning now, and the valley was still in darkness, although how much of that was due to the legitimate lack of light Leia couldn't say. So far everything was quiet, although she could swear she saw things moving on the cliff walls out of the corner of her eye. Once at the bottom, she realized that the walls were not just mounds of earth, but rather columns of stone that had been erected what seemed like thousands of years ago. Much of the facade had crumbled away, leaving only the functional components. Everything seemed to be made out of the same deep red stone, the looming statues, the empty entrance ways leading to tombs that contained what were probably the darkest artifacts in the galaxy.

Already Leia could feel the effects of the dark side, the way the air was heavy and still, weighing on her shoulders like an invisible ton of bricks. Pushing it from her mind, she looked ahead, seeing the outline of a building larger than the rest.

 _That has to be the Temple_ , Leia thought to herself. It was several miles away, but she should be able to reach it before sundown. Picking up her pace, Leia barely had time to jump out of the way when a small, spiky rancor-like creature lunged out of one of the many doorways. Remembering Obi-Wan's warning, Leia gave the animal's claws and teeth a wide berth, looking for a chink in the beast's armor. And that was no easy task, as the terentatek was far more vicious than she had expected. It seemed to be able to anticipate her every move, and was completely immune to any Force efforts on her part.

Leia's lightsaber hissed against the animal's hide once again and it let out a deafening roar, causing some rocks to break loose from the valley walls. Dozens more echoed in the distance, and Leia realized this was a battle she was not going to win. Twice the animal had already gotten it's claws far too close to her. As the terentatek charged towards her once again, Leia Force jumped out of the way at the last second, focusing all her energy on flying through the heavy air and onto a narrow ledge.

Leaving the confused beast on the valley floor, Leia darted along the narrow ledge, hopefully leaving the animal behind.

* * *

"You don't think Korriban is a bit of an extreme trial?" Obi-Wan asked, looking down into the valley.

"Sure she must be, of her power against the Dark Side," Yoda said, puzzled by her decision to not kill the terentatek. They had instructed her on how to take down various Sith beasts, especially since this would be her final trial. "And here we will be, if too much, it is."

"I hope you're right," Obi-Wan said, firing up the landspeeder as Leia ran towards the Temple.

* * *

Leia looked around at the Sith statues, trying to decipher who they were commemorating and why. It had been difficult fighting and using the Force in such an oppressive atmosphere and against such a vicious beast, but there had to be more to her trial than just killing various beasts. She'd already had to take out a few shyracks that had been disturbed by her sprint, but that was hardly challenging.

The Sith Temple was far closer than she had anticipated, and she jumped down from the ledge, satisfied she had left the terentateks at least two or three clicks behind.

An eerie light pulsed from the top of the red pyramidal building, a wide line of black bricks broke the monotony of red and divided the structure in half. The pyramid was supported by columns underneath, combined with the darkness it gave the impression of a cavern rather than a man-made structure.

Leia was on the opposite side of the courtyard, and even from there the building felt _alive_ somehow. A dark, ancient energy radiated from the top of the structure, and only grew stronger and more overwhelming as Leia tried to find its source. Abandoning her effort, Leia fortified her mental shields and proceeded through the courtyard, carefully examining the statues for any sort of traps.

Surprisingly the temple didn't seem to have much in the way of physical deterrents, but Leia didn't dare let her guard down. Obi-Wan had told her that whatever was waiting for her down here would make itself known, a thought that wasn't exactly reassuring.

Her steps echoed throughout the stone space as she entered, the sound of her robes seemed to ripple across the smooth surfaces as well, yet nothing seemed to be concerned with her presence.

Examining the massive room before her, Leia eventually spotted the shape of a stone basin in the center of the space. Cautiously approaching it, she could see writing on the sides of the column in a language she could not understand. Her Force probes didn't detect anything inherently harmful about the object, and as she reached forward to brush some of the dust off, a voice said,

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The green lightsaber was humming in front of her in a split second, it's light shining on a tall, thin, and pale man in dark robes.

"Are you one of the Sith Lords?" Leia asked.

"I am. Darth Bane," the man said, his voice low and unwavering. "What brings you here? You're strong in the Force, much stronger than anyone else that has come here."

"My trials," Leia said confidently. "Why shouldn't I touch it?" she asked, gesturing back to the basin.

"It will tempt you to the Dark Side," Darth Bane said. "After that I will have to try my hardest to show you the true power you possess."

"Wouldn't that be something you would _want_ me to do then?"

"Not quite. Your power is quite impressive with the rudimentary training you possess. With my knowledge, I could make you several times more powerful, more powerful than Darth Sidious, the man you so despise."

 _That must be the Emperor's Sith name,_ Leia thought.

"Why would you want to train to overthrow a Sith Lord? It doesn't make any sense."

"You don't understand. It is far, far more exciting to have a pupil with your potential come to us willingly, ready to accept the trials of the Sith Order, than to be persuaded by brute force, or manipulated into joining. Instead of a dedicated apprentice you wind up with a rabid dog, biting at the first semblance of power. That method destroyed my order, brought about by Darth Sidious," the man scowled. "He thinks he will never die, that the Rule of Two will not continue without him! Fool! There is always one stronger, one more willing to due whatever is necessary. He is stagnating the Order, killing it! But you, you could restore the Order, bring balance to the galaxy. When my Rule was dutifully followed, we only grew stronger. Our Order coincided with galactic peace for millennia. And then Sidious and his predecessor, they went too far. They tried to control what was not theirs to control, and now look what has happened to the galaxy!"

"The Emperor destroys everything he touches, that I can agree with you. However, I'm afraid I've already chosen a side."

"Tragic, the strongest never seem to know their own strength. Have it your way, Skywalker," and with that, the man disappeared.

Slightly unsettled by the Sith Lord knowing her name, Leia steeled her nerves and took a step forward, touching the cool stone with her hand.

* * *

 **TBC...**


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

* * *

 _Alderaan_

"I miss you already," Breha said, kissing her husband on the cheek as she helped him into his coat.

"Leia will be here tomorrow, and I'll be back in three days," Bail reassured her, returning her kiss. "After the festival tonight, everything will be back to normal."

"You know that's not what I'm worried about," Breha said in a low voice, glancing at the maid who was finishing putting together Bail's things.

"Mina, would you give us a moment please?" Bail said kindly. The girl nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"I haven't heard from Leia in two days, something could have happened," Breha said worriedly.

"You know how poor reception is from that side of the galaxy, she'll be fine."

"He's getting more suspicious, I don't know how long we can continue playing both roles, eventually we're going to have to choose."

"And when that day comes, we will know what side we belong to," Bail said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I can't wait for when the three of us are home together, it's been at least a month since that last happened. And I know Leia misses us as much as we miss her, patience my love." Bail Organa embraced his wife, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Bail! Breha!" Mina screamed from outside, slamming the door behind her. Bail and Breha exchanged a look, and Bail grabbed the blaster he kept in the bedroom, tucking it up his sleeve.

"Mina what is it?" he shouted back, Breha following close behind him.

"Oh my...," Breha said in shock, seeing the harsh red light that was growing brighter by the second in the sky.

"Breha, I love you."

"I love you too," Breha said, embracing her husband one last time as the world went white.

* * *

 _Korriban_

Leia fell back onto the cold marble floor as she tried to catch her breath, her clothes drenched with sweat. Underneath her robes she was shaking. Those had been her parents final moments, just before Tarkin had-,

"This doesn't make you angry?" Darth Banes cold voice echoed across the marble. "Seeing that doesn't make you want to destroy Darth Sidious?"

"It certainly does, but not with your help," Leia hissed, hoisting herself to her feet.

"Why would you refuse it? Only Sith Apprentices can overthrow their masters when they are powerful enough," Bane chided.

"Are you forgetting what happened to Darth Vader?" Leia growled, beginning to circle the Sith Lord.

"Darth Vader before he was put in the suit would truly be a force to be reckoned with, pardon the pun. Unfortunately Kenobi won both rounds with him, a tragedy truly. But you, in some ways, are stronger than him."

"I would certainly hope so, if I plan to destroy his master."

"Even Vader himself couldn't get inside your mind on the Death Star, and that's certainly no small feet," Bane continued, shivers running down Leia's spine at the mention of that small cell she had been locked in with that monster.

"I thank you for the compliment," Leia said sarcastically, her urge to lob the head off this pretentious Sith Lord growing even stronger. But he was a Force Ghost, wasn't like that would do any good.

 _Maybe this really is the test,_ Leia thought, shaking her head.

"Is my presence boring you?" Bane asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"I wouldn't use that adjective," Leia said, stealing a look out at the planet. Her eyebrows raised in alarm when she saw that it was nearly sundown.

 _Staying on that dustball an extra night is far better than what you'll encounter in there,_ Obi-Wan's words echoed.

"You really should have listened," Darth Bane sighed, retreating into the shadows. Leia turned to run out of the Temple, but the heavy, oppressive air now immobilized her. Slowly the crimson marble pillars around her turned into a small, gray cell on the Death Star.

* * *

"She's still in the Temple," Obi-Wan said, sensing Leia's distress. Yoda perked up as well, hopping onto the landspeeder.

"Hurry, we must."

* * *

The events on board the Death Star came flooding back into Leia's mind, and she Forced open the door to the cell, stepping out into the hallway. Surprisingly, the Death Star seemed to be deserted. Cautiously making her way to the elevator, she used the Force to see if anyone was on the battle station. The only life force she could detect was up in the control center, alone.

Frowning, she pressed the button for the elevator, trying to figure out what was waiting for her up there.

* * *

The doors opened, and she saw a figure dressed in black sitting in one of the chairs, it's back to her. Her slow footsteps echoed on the smooth surfaces, the only other sound the hum of her lightsaber.

"Leia, I was wondering when you would make your way up here," the figure said, it's voice a low, raspy tone. "Look at your Alliance, such a swarm they're up against."

 _Is that?_ Leia thought, gasping when she saw the withered figure in the chair.

"I'm afraid your rebels are no match for the Imperial starfleet," the Emperor said with mock sympathy, a gleeful tone in his voice. Out the window she could see _Home One_ and the other rebel ships engaging TIE fighters and star destroyers over a green planet, drastically outnumbered. Leia's blood boiled, here was the man who had created planet-killing weapons and ordered their use, and ordered the destruction of countless lives, homes, towns, families that the galaxy would take generations to recover from. And here he was, goading over an impending rebel defeat, if she just lunged forward...

"Go on then, strike me down. I can sense the rage in you, Leia. You must use it if you will be able to defeat me," the Emperor said, rising from his seat. "I am defenseless, and you will be able to mold the galaxy in your image."

All the memories she had of the battle station swirled in her minds eye, witnessing the destruction of Alderaan, being tortured by Darth Vader, all incredibly horrific and brought on by the Empire. The thought of them caused her to shake with anger, his cheeks flushing red as she ran forward swinging her lightsaber in an arc, the few paces between them closing in rapidly as Leia thought of everyone she had lost, her parents, everyone she had ever known on Alderaan, her brother, no Jedi teaching would allow someone as evil as this to go free, not when there was so much carnage in his wake. Only two more paces were left as she thought of all her training with Obi-Wan and Yoda, remembering everything that they had taught her about the Emperor and his tactics. She maintained a careful lookout for any sign of Force lightning, ready to deflect it if necessary, the way his presence corrupted

Leia's lightsaber stopped one inch away from the Emperors neck, breathing heavily, her lightsaber shaking.

 _Force lightning isn't the Emperor's true power, it's far more insidious than that. His very presence corrupts, all he did to overthrow the Republic was use his words_ , that was what Obi-Wan had told her when she first started training, and it had unsettled her then as it did now. In a way she did the same thing herself, unconsciously persuading people to vote her way or sway their support.

"We really aren't that different you know," the Emperor said, completely unfazed by the lightsaber. "As my apprentice you could learn so much more, prevent so much needless strife in the galaxy."

"You are the cause of the strife," Leia said firmly. "I don't intend to become another one of you."

"Aren't you already?" the Emperor said smugly. "You see how much Obi-Wan and Yoda are concerned about your temper. And rightfully so, you could be _such_ a formidable opponent, if only you embraced the Dark Side. No one would be able to challenge you, not even Luke, the boy who ran away."

Leia's resolve almost waivered, her lightsaber winding back for another strike in anger at the mention of what Luke had done.

"He had the same reaction too you know, initially he was repulsed by my observations, but he eventually came to see that I was only telling the truth."

"Luke would never turn to the Dark Side," Leia hissed.

"Oh of course not, not at first. All that needs to be done is sew the seed of doubt against the Jedi, which they did well enough on their own. Hiding his parentage, a mistake on their part if I dare say so. But even now, wherever he is in hiding, I have no doubt he will discover the truth as his father did."

 _His very words corrupt._

"You're wrong. Luke isn't his father, and neither am I."

Sensing the impending lightning strike, Leia swung her lightsaber forward, slicing through the robes of the Emperor.

* * *

Yoda and Obi-Wan ran into the Temple, their lightsabers at the ready. Leia lay on the floor only twenty feet from the entrance, and Yoda rushed to her, checking her pulse.

"Stable she is, but move we must," the little green alien said, using the Force to levitate her towards the landspeeder.

"Watch out!" Obi-Wan shouted, hurling a boulder into a terentatek that had jumped out at them. He quickly moved into a defensive position, fending off the wild beasts that hurled themselves at him. They were faster than Obi-Wan remembered them being, and he had to narrowly dodge some of the larger fangs. After he had killed what seemed to be the pack leader, the beasts scattered, crawling into cracks and holes in the Temple walls.

 _You will only fail the Skywalkers once again_ , an icy voice whispered, startling Obi-Wan.

"Leave now we must!" Yoda shouted from the speeder, his voice rippling in the Force.

 _Anakin, Luke, now Leia,_ the voice continued.

"Now!" Yoda shouted, amplifying loud enough to be heard in the valley.

Shaken from his thoughts, Obi-Wan turned and ran, guiding the speeder back to the safety of the ship.

* * *

 _Shaltin Tunnels, Thanium Sector_

"We never would have let a Padawan go alone into a place that dangerous," Obi-Wan said anxiously. Leia hadn't stirred since their departure from Korriban an hour ago, and Obi-Wan was beginning to think they had made a terrible mistake.

"Much more powerful than others, she is. Much more she has accomplished in her training, than either of us could, in such short time. The Dark Side, we did not sense, only the Light. Ready, she is, for what is to come, and what has already passed. But recover for now, she must," Yoda said, hobbling out of the bunkroom.

Obi-Wan sighed and followed the Grandmaster. He was right, but if anything happened to Luke or Leia, he would never forgive himself.

* * *

 _Perlimian Trade Route, near the planet Lianna_

Leia slowly sat up, her head pounding. The dreams she had been having were, unusual, to say the least. Flashes of planets, battle stations, things she was sure would pass in the future. None of them made any sense, no matter how she tried to piece them together.

Groaning, she swung her feet to the floor, careful not to bang her head on the overhead bunk. Someone had left a glass of water for her, and she chugged it. Her mouth no longer dry as Tatooine, she called out for one of the Jedi, and was surprised when there was no answer.

"Obi-Wan? Yoda?" she called, looking down the hallway. Still no answer. Leia made her way to the cockpit, certain one of them had to be in there.

The cockpit was deserted as well, and Leia frowned, wondering where they could have gone. The navicomputer had them on the Perlimian Trade Route, the nearest hyperlane, so she had to have been out for at least two hours for them to navigate the uncleared space. The sound of voices came from the other side of the ship, and Leia gingerly made her way there, her muscles still shaking slightly from her ordeal.

 _What if I failed the trial?_

 _Don't be stupid._

 _It could be true. Why else would they be avoiding you?_

Leia shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She slid open the door to the breakroom, and saw Obi-Wan and Yoda seated around a hologram of Mon Mothma.

"Leia, good to see well, it is!" Yoda exclaimed, hopping down and hobbling over to her. "Feeling, how are you?"

"I feel fine, just a little exhausted," Leia said, giving a weak smile. She felt Obi-Wan's hand on her shoulder, and knew he was proud of what she had done.

"A Jedi Knight you have become, Leia Organa," Yoda said proudly, a smile on his face. "Prepared you are, for the future."

"We are proud of you Leia, you resisted the Dark Side, no easy feat. Please, sit down," Obi-Wan said, noticing she looked a little paler. "Would you like something to eat?"

Leia nodded, greeting Mon Mothma while Obi-Wan went to fetch something.

"Congratulations Leia. Now we will truly be able to take the fight to the Empire," Mon Mothma said.

"What has happened the past few days?" Leia asked, thanking Obi-Wan for the bowl of fruit he gave her.

"Thankfully things haven't been too eventful. We've been using this quiet period for training, and repositioning our troops," Mon Mothma said, alluding to their plan to attack the second Death Star.

"I'm glad to hear," Leia said.

"We have received some intelligence about a new fighter the Empire is developing. It's currently being tested on a Mid Rim world called Lantillies."

"The world with the drydocks," Leia said between bites.

"Yes. I hate to ask this of you so soon after your trial, but we have an informant who is able to get the blue prints for us, and you're the closest operative we can spare. I assure you it will be a quick mission though, the informant plans to meet us in one of the more isolated regions of the planet, to avoid detection."

"Very well. What's my timeline?"

"I'm transmitting it you now. Based on your ships trajectory you should arrive there within 5 standard hours, so I'll leave you to get some rest. May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you," Leia echoed as the hologram disappeared.

* * *

 **Thank you everyone for the support for this story! It's one of my earlier ones and I'm glad to see so many people still enjoy it!**

 **Reviews are welcome as always :)**


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